Busy as a Bee

I know that's an overused cliche. But I really am. And bees ARE busy little workers. I should know. Ian's been studying bees and filling me in on all the facts!

Wouldn't you know that the week of VBS would also be the week that our garden is in its prime. Green beans. Cucumbers. Zucchini. Banana peppers. Broccoli. Blueberries. Basil. That means I'm up to my knees in veggies. Oh, but as busy as I am, I love having this abundance of fresh organic produce to preserve and use throughout the fall and winter.

So in the midst of directing Crocodile Dock, I've also been spending copious amounts of time with my vacuum sealer and my canner. This time of year is always exhausting for me because of all the preserving, but I just keep reminding myself of how glorious it is to pull a bag of organic homegrown veggies out of the freezer while the snow's flying outside. It makes it worth the work.

Oh, and I found this pic of Lily while browsing past garden pictures. This was Lily two summers ago. She would have only been about 17 months old. My how time flies!

My Wheels Are Turning...

That's what Ian keeps telling me lately. "Mom," he says, "Your wheels are turning in your head." Very observant, that boy of mine is 'cause my wheels have been turning. And my head has been swarming with this...

I've been dreaming of crocs (the reptile, not the shoe), dragonflies, cattails, and moss since January. I've been painting and inhaling (not intentionally) noxious Sharpie fumes for months. I've been memorizing Bible Memory Buddies, Bible points, memory verses and dance moves for the past I forget how many months.

I've been recruiting and pleading with church attendees to help in the cause and get involved. I've been praying for both the known children as well as the nameless/faceless children that God will lead to our church for this event.

And the day has come. The week is here. It's all pulled together now (I pray.) The bayou's come to my part of the country for the week. And it's brought with it reptiles, lily pads, cypress trees, and a whole lot of God's Word.

Keep me in your prayers as I co-direct Vacation Bible School this week. And pray for the hearts of the children in attendance as well as the teachers and volunteers. Pray that God's light will shine brightly and that He would be made known.

~Amber

Thrifting Treasures...

Who doesn't love the abundance of yard sales during the summer months? And the thrift stores just seem to be overflowing with goodies.

Here are some of the treasures I've found thrifting this year...

I found these base thingies at two different thrift stores. The bigger one was a brown ceramic and the smaller one (actually came with another taller one just like it) was a crackled beige ceramic. I spray painted these two white and thought they would be lovely to set my white dishes on to serve on when I entertain.

When I'm not using the smaller base, it sets on my kitchen counter with a replica yellowware bowl on it. I usually put pears or bananas in the bowl.




The other base I spray painted black and it rests in our hall bathroom...




I found the white bowl below at a thrift shop for 50 cents. I thought it would be a lovely bowl to serve from when I use my white dishes.



I found the following little lamp at Goodwill for $1.99. I plan on covering the shade with red ticking fabric. The two little candlesticks I found at a yard sale for 50 cents. They were originally a dark wooden color; I spray painted them white.

Vintage napkins found at an estate sale this past weekend. The white set was unused and has a beautiful floral pattern. There were 15 of them! For $3.00! The second set of four I got for 50 cents.


I found the basket below at a yard sale for 75 cents. It was originally a brown color before I spray painted it ivory. The six fabric napkins were found at a local thrift store for $1.00. They each have a tiny flower embroidered in the corner.

Found this basket at Goodwill for 99 cents...

The following basket was only 25 cents at a yard sale!

The next basket is my favorite basket find! I found it at a thrift shop for $3.00. You can tell it is old but it is very sturdy and well-made. I have this setting on top of our tv armoire in the living room.

I purchased this great whicker rocker from a friend's yard sale for $25.00. It had been in their family for a while so it's old and has lots charm. It is in our master bedroom.

This last find is a sturdy little wooden stool for $3.00. It was an unfinished wood color. Pretty dirty as it was also from an estate sale and very old. I cleaned it up, spray painted it white, and then sanded some wear into it.

At the estate sale I went to last week, I also found a vintage baby doll cradle which I plan to clean up and give to Lily for C-mas. It was in awesome shape, and I was able to get it for $10.00! I was super excited because I've been looking for a nice cradle for Lily since before C-mas last year. I can't show pics of it because it's in hiding. :) I'd like to make some linens for it to give with it also.

Thanks for looking! This post just goes to show you that the old cliche is true... One man's junk is another man's treasure.

~Amber

It's Jam Time...

Blueberry jam time, that is. Oh how I love the glorious blueberries that so faithfully provide enough jam to last our family a year's worth of soy butter and jelly sandwiches through. Not to mention that it's totally organic and handmade by me and my little helper. That makes it all the better.

Sidewalk Paint

Sidewalk paint is fun and super easy and cheap to make. It's better than the sidewalk chalk because it's messier. And let's face it, messy is a good thing to kids. Especially for your daughter who bores with painting the sidewalk and progresses to bigger and better canvases ~ like herself.


For each color you make you will need:

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

10-12 drops of food coloring

Mix the cornstarch into the cold water, and stir until completely blended. Add your food coloring, and, voila, you're done. Not too difficult, huh?

I then poured mine into baby food jars so that whatever was left of the paint could be stored neatly until next time.

Oh, another little helpful hint. Each paint should have a dedicated paint brush. If your kids start dipping one paint brush into all the colors, you're going to eventually end up with a la mud.

Some window "mistreatments"

Ever heard of 'em? I believe the phrase was originally penned by the Nester. I had been hanging pieces of fabric with thumbtacks for several years until I realized that there was actually an official term for it. Yay! I'm not alone. Here are some instructions on how to mistreat your windows.

So I thought I'd share my latest mistreatment with you. I'm constantly changing my mind about what I want to do with my living room windows. I've only ever bought curtains for them once, and that was right after we built the house. Oh, wait, I take that back. I did buy a set several months ago, but they were too short and not exactly what I wanted so I returned them.

Because I change my mind frequently, mistreating is a much more economical choice for window treatments. Fabric is cheap and there are tons of different patterns to choose from.

So here's my latest living room mistreatment...

I found this tan ticking fabric (I LOVE ticking fabric) for $4.00/yard. I needed five yards to do this window. $20.00. Can. you. beat. that????!!!!

I love how bright and airy this fabric makes the room feel. I feel all cozy inside when I look at my windows now. No more bare naked windows (they've been naked for the last several months.) It feels warm and inviting. I feel welcome in my home.

Oh, and while I was mistreating, I got into the mood to rearrange my living room furniture and accessories. Here's something I put together. The old Seven-Up crate was found by my brother-in-law. He's a junk hunter like me.


Enjoy mistreating!

We Gather Together

Our church sponsored a community picnic yesterday afternoon.

There were lots of games...

Face-painting...

Some were more than happy to sit and get their faces painted...

Others were not...

A pie-eating contest...

Praise and worship...

Balloon animals...

Cotton candy...

And most importantly, time spent together with family and friends...

Making Time to Catch the Fireflies...

Sometimes I get so caught up in trying to find the perfect time to do things, that I miss the small windows of opportunity that God so graciously blesses me with. When I'm still, I can hear God whispering to me to look at the moments, not the hours or days. Take each moment I'm given and fill it with memories that will live on.

Lily really wanted to go swimming yesterday, and she had been asking me all day but we didn't get a chance. So at 8:00 last night after Brad got home, she asked again. I said no. But I saw the look on Brad's face and he, after hesitating, said he'd take her. Even though it was bedtime, it was beautiful and warm, and it was a moment he had to embrace. So he did. And they had a blast.

Afterwards, it was already going on to 9:00pm. Walking up from my parents' I noticed all the twinkling lights of the fireflies in the fields. I was reminded of the times my sisters and I caught fireflies in mason jars. I felt the moment knocking on my door. "Oh, it's getting so late. The kids need to get to bed. I have things I need to get done." Then there was the other voice. "Take advantage of this moment, Amber. You're always wishing for these moments, so take it while I've given it to you. Love, God."

And I gave in to the beckoning call of God to embrace my children's childhood and to make memories with them that they would always remember.

I'm so glad I did.

Demolition Time

My parents are adding on to their home. Ian is having a great time destroying things. Tearing down chimneys, ripping down walls, etc. What is it about boys and demolition?