~giveaway winner~

And the winner of the giveaway is....Janice!!!!!!!  Contact me and tell me what you want!!!!!!!

{Shopping Trip}

I love to shop, especially in cities that have different stuff than what I have around home. So I was really excited about shopping this past weekend. And I wasn’t disappointed! We shopped at the best places: Outlets, IKEA, Target, Gap, Anthropologie, Sur la Table, Home Goods, TJMax, The Snooty Fox, CVS!!, Ted’s Toy Shop, Children’s Place, Old Navy, Ballard Design, Frontgate, and I’m sure there were a few more I’m not remembering right now. We ate great food: IKEA, Starbucks, Donatos, Whole Foods, Chipotle, O’Charleys. We had a great hotel.

But what far surpassed the shopping, food, and accommodations was the people we spent the weekend with. I came home feeling so blessed to have such wonderful friends in my life. I love each one of you and I praise God for you. You are all so good for me. I came home refreshed from a weekend away, ready to strive harder in my homeschooling, my prayer life, daily devotions, homemaking, creating, sewing…

Thank you for the inspiration, laughter, fun, prayer, friendship. My life is truly richer with you in it.

A little hard to get going on Sunday morning!

Meg Rosa had a GREAT time!

And the winner of the shooting match is...

And since Travis had the camera I don't have pics of us shopping:(

This is what the back of the SUV looked like Sunday morning packed up after 2 days of shopping.  No luggage in THIS vehicle, just the packages of 6 women's shopping trip:)

View from inside.  Definitely not a way to see out the rearview mirror!

It takes the guys a little longer to get situated for a picture!!!!!!

And you can tell who has a photographer for a wife:)

Come on guys, you stand like this!

I don't want to be the only one down on one knee...

FINALLY!

Aren't they a great lookin' bunch of guys??
(and don't you just LOVE their vests???!!!)

New purse...and a giveaway!!

So... as you read this I should be off for a weekend of shopping, fun, laughter, and craziness.  We are going on a weekend shopping trip with a group of our friends.  I'm so excited!  As I type this I'm thinking about packing, getting the girls ready to go to Grandma's, and, oh yes, getting SCHOOL done when the girls get up:)

I got the sewing I had planned for this week finished early yesterday and decided to do something fun.  Every girl needs a new purse now and then and what could be more fun than a new one to take shopping??  So I made this one.  I bought these handles at Sew to Speak when Travis took me there in September.  So I decided to use them.  I used an Amy Butler pattern and put my own twist to it.  I used these handles instead of making the handle the pattern said to make.  I really like the way it turned out.  I love it when I can take a pattern, use my own idea to make it uniquely mine, AND it turns out and I actually like the result:)  And this fabric?  I got it at Sew to Speak too!  LOVE LOVE LOVE it.  I mean, what seamstress wouldn't???  I also have a huge shoulder bag I made out of the comic strip fabric but I decided it might be a bit obnoxious to take shopping:)  But perhaps it will be my overnight bag...

So.... yesterday's post marked 300 posts.  WoW!  Can't believe it.

To celebrate would any of you like a new purse?  A new skirt?  A purse or skirt for your daughter?  Leave me a comment, any comment, and when I return from shopping I'll draw a name and the winner can tell me how she wants her skirt or purse made.  That's right!  You choose: a skirt or a purse

For you, your daughter, your friend, your Mom, whoever you wish.  And you can tell me how you want it or you can be surprised:) 

Have a wonderful weekend, I can't wait to see who all jumps on board for this one!

Christmas...

Well, my blog looks like Christmas with the new header, I'm ready to pull out the Christmas decor in a week or so, I'm going on a weekend shopping trip, my sewing is coming along nicely, I've got some gift ideas simmering, I've started thinking about baking, seems like Christmas preparations are going well for this time of year.  So, how about the state of my heart??  Do I remember the REAL meaning of Christmas?  Do I stop to think about why it's called CHRISTMAS?  Am I truly ready for Christmas?? 

Lord God, please help me to look beyond the tinsel, trees, ornaments, deocrating, and frenzy of the season to the Baby in the Manger.  And beyond the Baby to the Man He became, the Work He did the Walk He walked, and the Sacrifice He became.  May YOU truly dwell in my heart and shine brightly to everyone I come in contact with, not only this season but all the seasons of my life.  Help me to think more about giving to peope who are truly in need, hungry, cold, naked, suffering, instead of going overboard buying gifts for my children.  Bless us as Christians the world over, and make us tools in Your hands to do Your work, spreading Your Love and Grace to all mankind.

{Damask Design}

We went to Indiana this weekend and I was able to stop in at Damask Design.  I was so excited to get to be there and purchase some of the goodies Amber had so neatly displayed in her adorable shop.

Wonderful stuff, cute shope, so fun to chat with Amber, Maria, and Laina!(not sure I spelled that right!)  I will have to figure out a way to come back when you are open next:)

What I bought.  Could not pass up the glittered reigndeer:)

This lotion is the best.  Expensive, but the best!  I've had a free sample and the small tubes, so I decided it was time for the big tube!  Love it!

This is my current 'mailbox'.  The basket I bought at Damask Design would also make a neat 'mailbox'.  What do you think?  should I switch?  Or should I paint my current one?  If so, what color??

BROOM UPDATE!!!!!!!!

So have any of you tried to get your brooms to stand now that the time is up????
Mine will not stand!  They were right!!!  You can get it balanced for a few seconds and then it slowly leans one way or the other and falls down.  Amazing! 
I get excited over the little things:)

How to eat P-nut Butter

{French Larkspur} is having a SUPER giveaway!

If you've never been to 'French Larkspur's' site you need to check it out.  She's doing a stupendous giveaway to celbrate her shop good finally making it through customs and arriving at her doorstep.  She had some really neat stuff in her shop so check it out too.  You won't be sorry (but your husband might!)

New House

Here are some pictures of the new house our friends built.  They moved in a couple of weeks ago and they have the coziest, most beautiful home.  I can't wait to go back and spend more time in it!!

Little Meg Rosa loves her new house!  Next time I go I've got to take some pictures of her adorable bedroom.

Pot Filler.  A MUST!  Love these!

Kitchen Cabinets are BEAUTIFUL.  love them.  Wish I would have taken more pictures of them.

I did take a picture of THIS cabinet!  If I ever build a house I want some of my kitchen cupboards to have spice racks built into the doors.  ( I also want the cabinet builder to cut the shelves inside the cabinet so that the door will shut!!!)  Don't worry, Nate, it just stands open all the time, patiently waiting for someone to get time to fix it:)

Praise God!

Stellan's heart is beating properly!  Go here to read about the wonderful Home Run this family is experiencing right now.