i have to say...

taking back my time

Refreshed...

It is sometimes necessary to step away from things in order to gather yourself together.  Life's necessities were calling way too loud and draining the joy from my days.  A few days to relax and smile and, yes, finish off my to-do list were the perfect solution.

Once in a while I find myself in a rut where I feel weighted and pressed down because there are too many options calling my name.  "Simplify" is a lifestyle that I need to get back to, and the word "no" needs to become part of my vocabulary again.  There are many good things in life to get involved in, but not all are going to bring balance or peace to my home.  A heart pulled in too many directions can't properly focus on the important callings set before it.

Today I start at square one.  My time is my own.  Every time someone asks me to do something--whether it is an opportunity to help or to have fun--I will say "let me think about that and I will let you know".  The important and necessary things in my life can't be crowded out by busy-ness, even if it is good and useful busy-ness.  Even if saying the word "no" makes me feel guilty, I have to stick with this.  When my spirit tanks, so goes those around me.

And besides, this is summer.  Too many sunshine-y days have beckoned us outside, but busy-me has chosen to stay in and be, well, busy.  Starting this morning, my choice is to live with peace and joy, and all of those supposedly important things that crowd my days can stay away. 

Yes, they can stay far away.

I hope you have a joy-filled day!

taking a little break...

...to just enjoy the sunshine.

Be back soon!

sunflower house version 2.0

Aubry and I planted a sunflower playhouse at the beginning of the month, but when the seeds failed to germinate we replanted in a better location.  Her daily trek with water bucket in hand just wasn't enough to make the seeds pop up through the hard ground.

We found a spot where the dirt was softer and, as it turns out, easier to get to without climbing through bushes, and now we are hoping that the seeds sprout.  Aubry has visions of playing in the house with her girlfriends, having tea-parties and loving on their dollies while the sunflowers smile down on them.

Isn't summertime fun?

the bathing suit blues

We had quite a mix of weather this weekend.  Rainy on Saturday, and sunny and hot on Sunday.  Craig and the boys were backpacking on Saturday which left Aubry and I with a girl's day.  We planned the Father's Day festivities (my girl loves to plan festivities!) and we went to the movies and out to dinner and, of course, painted our toenails.  A fun day altogether.  I love spending time with that girl of mine!

Sunday we spoiled Craig and made him a dinner of fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes and cream gravy.  We all pigged out and felt absolutely no guilt afterward.  Josiah drank the last of the gravy straight out of the serving-cup.  Cream gravy is just that good!

Everyone ended up in the pool except for me.  A new bathing suit is on my list of must-have items and beyond the $85 set at Land's End that I love, I can't find one that I want.  My budget is more in the $30 range so patience is a must.

Bathing-suit shopping is not something that I like to do, so I admit to lagging on this one.  After 5 kids this old body just ain't what it used to be.  I want something that I can swim in, but that doesn't highlight every detail of me.  Too bad those knee-length suits went out of the style back in the 20's.  One of those would be perfect!

Have a great Monday!

shop notes

 
Ginseng and  County Fair home decor weight fabrics are in my shop at a great price!  These prints are great for all of your crafting projects and they would be perfect for totebags.  The bright, colorful designs really catch the eye.

Also, my sale section has grown in an effort to make room for new items coming soon.  Check it out and you may find the perfect fabric to suit your needs.

Have a great weekend!

summer-y things

 

***drinking lemonade

***aubry throwing petals in the air everytime I prune the roses

***dinner from the grill---the hamburgers and fries last night were great

***going outside to play more

***the smell of sunscreen

***washing the cars

***sweeping the walkway

***making jam, eating things with jam on them

***lace curtains dancing in the breeze

***flip-flops

***hiking

***enjoying the cool breeze at night

What defines summer for you?

strutting my stuff on the catwalk

OK, so I am just standing in front of the bathroom mirror modeling my new shirt, but that didn't seem like a catchy post title to me.  Sometimes I have to liven up my life through words, you know?

Getting a good photo in a mirror is a challenge.  The one above reminds me of the look I give my husband when he does something,  let's say, surprising.  As in "You did what?".  The look that lets him know that I am.not.happy without having to actually nag him. 

Come on, girls, I know you do it too!

The picture below?  I think this is the look I might have on my face if I was about to fall off a small cliff.  Not a thousand foot drop or anything like that, just one far enough to be painful and scary.

Again, I am not sure how I came up with the photos.  It isn't like I purposely tried to look ridiculous or anything like that.

Did you remember that this post is about my new shirt?  I made it using Simplicity 4123 and Fortune in Sea from the Good Folks collection.   Of course I ended up having to get creative in matching some seams, but that has more to do with my dislike of reading directions than the pattern itself.  I will most likely give the pattern another go because I like the fit.  Very comfy and kind of cute.

Thanks for letting me strut my stuff today!

three little turnips

I don't know if three turnips can legitimately be called a "harvest", but it makes me feel good to use that term and I am going with it.  We found these lovelies hiding under their big shady leaves just waiting to be picked, along with some spinach and lettuces.

With all of the week-picking lately, it is motivating to find something edible coming up.  This was the little nudge needed to keep on keepin' on.

The funny thing is that I have never eaten a turnip before.  Do have any great recipe suggestions?  These babies are sitting in the refrigerator waiting for the perfect dish to be a part of. 

Anybody want to help us along?

notes for a friday

First off, I want to let you all know that The Recipe Box Swap will be taking a summer-break.  Since I forgot again this month (ooops!) I figured I should set it aside and get serious about summer-fun.  This, of course, is not a hard thing for me to do!

All of my chicklets will be home this weekend.  Yeah!  We are picking up Danika's beau at the airport tomorrow and she will have him for 3 whole weeks before he has to head back to base.  Unfortunately they met just as he was starting his time in the military so their situation is rather confusing, but not impossible.  This is the theme of many discussions lately and I do wish I had a magic answer.  It reminds me that worthwhile things sometimes demand sacrifice.  The pay-off comes later.

I am back to square one on my Couch-to-5K program.  I was doing so well and then 2 weeks went by with no excercise on my part.  Going back to beginning is a pain, but I intend to run a 5K in the fall and get a time to proud of.  Dragging my self across the finish line is not in the plan.

I do hope your weekend is filled with smiles!

so berry good

Yesterday was jam makin' day!

Jam making is one of those things that I think it best done with a friend.  All canning is, in fact.  The mess is bigger, but so much gets accomplished.  When the afternoon of chatting is done, the problems of the world seem to be solved. If only we could implement all of our great ideas for this world of ours!

Cici calls strawberry jam "spring in a jar" and I couldn't agree more.  There is something hopeful about popping open a jar in the middle of January that reminds you that the snow is going to melt and the sun is going to shine.  Just like it is these days.  Spring is simply the best time of the year, if you ask me.

This is the recipe we used and this site has a great tutorial for making the jam. If you are new to jam-making and want to try (but are a little afraid to do it) buy the Ball Blue Book (about $5.00 at Walmart) and enlist a friend to help.  You will have fun (I promise!) and you will end up with beautiful jars of jam to store on your shelves.

Oh, and it's berry good!