I'm good at mazes, what were we thinking, full of grace, I know God is good...

I couldn't decide on a title to this post can you tell??  I could have tagged a few more on there, but you'll get the picture in a minute. First off.....who needs fireworks Wednesday when we had our own lightening show last night?!?!? Thank you Lord for the rain! We needed it....BADLY...so very very badly!! If it wasn't for all the flashes, I might have danced out in it last night.



This is our kitchen.....

well, was.....

until Saturday....

Did I tell you I was good at mazes?? I have this perfect gift; I take everything out of one room and put it in another room and create this wonderful maze to get from one room to another, and to important things in the maze room. Something always inspires me though, and this time it was my hubs, because of this.....

We had a roof leak years not long ago. We have a flat roof above this room and it needed replacing.

after replacing the roof, it was time to replace the ceiling, because of all the water damage. This is the only room in the house with a popcorn ceiling and it drives Tim nuts. He doesn't like it. And I am always in favor of changing things ;) 

one day I will post the before pictures of our house when we moved in 9 years ago. My bestie found them when they came for a visit a couple weeks ago. We are Do it Yourselfers, if you haven't figured that out on this blog yet. If we have the time and the means, we just do it. But time is a ticking and we needed this thing fixed and it just wasn't happening on our end. So, we decided, we would rip out the ceiling, go hang out at the beach and hire someone to put a ceiling in while were gone. Sound good???

We started moving out the room and creating my maze Friday, so we could do this on Saturday.....

It was the WORST DAY EVER! 14 hours of non stop (except for the 5 trips to Home Depot), index of 115 degrees, change of three sets of clothes from all the sweat, kind of worst day. At one point, I thought, "if this wasn't his idea, I think he would leave me over this one!", it was that bad. So Bad. NEVER EVER AGAIN. I like a challenge, but not the ones with the words, heat and insulation in them.

Once again, I am so glad God's mercy is new every morning. Our task is done and it's ready for the next guy....

Saturday night, I was so tired, and if I hadn't sweat out all my tears, I would've cried. I didn't think there was any way my body could phyically even walk to the car to go to church, but it did. And I am so glad. The sermon was amazing, and exactly what I needed to hear. And at one point when Andy talked about people living a life full of grace; full, like if it were in a cup, you would spill it trying to carry it it was so full; a picture of my husband popped in my head. He is full of grace.


So, now for the real work fun! After viewing our exposed ceiling, I changed my plans for the above, because that's how I roll. We were just going to add a new sheet rock ceiling and eventually add some beams for depth in the room, but are now going with this....

images provided off of Google Images.

We're planking the ceiling. So, this week, I have been up to my eyeballs with paint samples, subway tile, grout picking fun; because if I have to paint the room, then the cabinets will need a "new do", the fireplace a little face lift, and we might as well replace the door that always sticks and won't open, add a pot filler at the stove, you know.....more on the "to do" list.  So look forward to some after pictures in a few months weeks, because The Pilcher kitchen is getting a re-do :)

Happy Monday y'all! 

Thinking outside the box......

When I get a chance, and I wake up naturally around 6am or so on a Saturday morning, I do enjoy jumping in the car to scout out a nearby Yard Sale.

But, I usually look for very specific things. It's either a lamp that needs a new shade or a chandelier that needs a coat of paint.


I don't own a pair of shorts. Well, not really. I own some athletic shorts, but I'm talking about the dress up cute, go out in public kind. It's most likely because of my recent employment as shop owner, but I will say, that a  petite frame with a little.....shall we say....junk in the trunk.....is hard to fit sometimes. Unless I don't mind the shorts past my knees or the gaping waistband when I bend over.

When I headed to a Yard Sale a few weeks ago, I spotted these.....

The tag said "perfect fit" so, I figured I couldn't go wrong ;)

Besides, the person selling them had my shape so I figured I would risk the $1.00 I spent on them and give them a try....

The tag was correct. It was a perfect fit, but missing a little...... happy.


So for 40 cents I purchased these wooden buttons and gave it a face lift.....

And now they smile in their new home :)


This Saturday the hubs and I scored a pair of these concrete planters for $5.00 each.....

We both agreed that our herbs do much better in planters then our soil. Let's hope so, our summers are hot, hot, hot! Later this week, I will show you how to make these....

These dresses are SUPER simple and only take about a half an hour or less to make.





And with all of this..... Life has been full, very full. The girls consume my time, a lot of it, and I wouldn't have it any other way. And because of this, we are downsizing our booth are the Highland's Antique' Mall.

 I absolutely adore our booth, but simply don't have the time to maintain it's size. It will no longer be exclusive to Childen's merchandise, but will be filled with all things cute, inspiring, creative and fun for you to enjoy.

So much more detail on this later, but for now, head on over there for a Downsizing Sale of 50% OFF or Lower (excludes FIRMS). These little Kissy Kissy long sleeve onesies are only $5.00 and in perfect condition!

Hope this adds a little inspiration to your day! Get creative and think outside the box!

little by little.....

sometimes it feels like the "honey-do" list never ends. I know I am the culprit for it's life. I add to it....daily.



 When closing the shop back in October, I couldn't part with a few pieces of furniture.

It was my opportunity to get organized.






I have sewn on my dining room table for years. Functioned out of Rubbermaid containers. And the craft supplies, oh, the craft supplies. Let's just say, I had multiple "junk" drawers and baskets!




We were blessed in our old home to have the previous owners turn the 5th bedroom into a laundry room. I realize not every laundry room is this big. Unfortunately for me, I despise doing laundry. Oh, flipping the switch and pushing a button isn't the tedious task. It's the folding and putting away that I despise.




Some questioned how in the WORLD I was going to squeeze all the ideas and furniture in this room, and not to mention, create and environment that we enjoy being in. I can't seem to find a before picture of the room, so I will give you this one I found on the web....

image from google images.

And then you can times it by 100 and it will give you a picture in your head of my craziness. :)

I don't have it finished. I still have dog food spilt on the ground that crush under my feet, maybe a dead roach (or two) to sweep up, and not all my containers match all pretty like, but I am loving it. I love the art I picked up at a yard sale that inspired the colors, the chandelier I painted that once hung over my grandmother's kitchen table, and the touches here and there of items that hold 8 years of memories at Bellamia.  I still have some "honey-do's" in there, and some for myself. But it is school room, craft room, laundry piling ready,( sans the curriculum that I have in multiple shopping carts pulled up on 7 different windows on my computer).





And although I resembled something of the wicked witch of the west to my kids and hubs, I did seem to accomplish  the powers of my broomstick yesterday and create this.....

they (my hubs and kiddos) have so much grace and so much love. I felt terrible for letting my frustration of my un-orderness come out through my mouth, and for sending my husband to McDonald's for his dinner at 9:30pm.  And as Tim called me earlier at 4:30pm and said, "I am going to head out soon, do you want me to pick up anything for you?", I believe my response was something like, "I am the most overwhelmed, frustrated, stressed I have been in awhile, you might not want to come home.". Oh, how he loves me and sets me straight.


I kept praying all day......"Lord, please keep my tongue from evil.", but earlier in the day it was "Lord, please keep my tongue from evil, even though I want to bite their heads off!". Hey, He knows my heart, so might as well tell Him what's in there instead of trying to cover it up.

That witch seemed to have melted away and the glitter of the Good Witch of the east seems to be moving about the house today, and my little munchkins are delighting in today.

Praise the Lord, His mercies are new every morning! I need as much as I can get :)

Just put 877 picture in my Summer time folder. Hope to go through them and catch you up soon!

Happy Wednesday y'all!

because you just have to laugh in the chaos sometimes....

(i picked this up here.... click on the link and get ready to laugh through the tears.....)

And as I go through piles and piles of curriculum research today; I had to just stop and laugh at this. It was if God was telling me to chill out, you will get through this...... just breath......

Happy Tuesday y'all :)

In Honor of Father's Day.....

I dug into my archives in honor of Father's Day.... you can click here or read below.


Happy Father's Day to all you active, faithful, loving, supportive Daddy's out there. We need you. Thankful for your life and example!



 

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This Blog

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Monday, November 7, 2011

Family

did I mention there is a STRONG possibility I will not be blogging on the weekends??? Well, it's true. The weekends have been beautiful and anticipated more and more in our home as the girls get older.

This weekend the girls especially anticipated it! You might be thinking it was because of the Fair that came to town and camps out two weeks over the first part of November, but it wasn't.

A few months ago, we were talking as a family and decided that since we celebrate birthdays and we celebrate anniversaries, why not celebrate family. So we started a new tradition. Every 6th day of each month (because that day will never interfere with a family bday or anniversary) we will celebrate our family.

There are three rules-

1.) we ALWAYS have to celebrate it that day. No matter where we are or how much is going on.
2.) we have to go or do something that we normally do NOT do as a family. In other words, it has to be a stretch.
3.) we have to end the evening with an affirmation to each person (last night was naming a certain characteristic we appreciate about them)


Yesterday was our Family Celebration day and we chose to go to the movies. We never go to the movies as in, we might have taken the girls three times their whole life.


The girls have been wanting to see Courageous and so that's what we went to see.


We cried the whole movie, or at least I did.....

I have heard statistics on suicide, divorce and domestic violence many times about children of fatherless homes and it is heart wrenching. But last night it hit me so much harder. I guess that the fact that there is a very strong possibility that my girls will marry a man that came from a fatherless home, just really made me mourn.






I am not just talking about the homes where father's haven't been present since conception. I am talking about the homes where the father's might very well be physically present, but emotionally and spiritually absent.



This movie did a fantastic job of showing the importance a father's role is. It also brought sorrow to me as I watched a father make a decision not to dance with his daughter in public because of the embarrassment it would have caused. Or when he wouldn't run the race with his son because he never liked running, or sitting in front of the television after a stressful day at the office just to "tune in" to believing this is what he deserved, just so he can "tune out" what he didn't want to do with his responsibility and love.





It's all about decisions in life. We make them every day. Many many times a day. If fact, every thing we do is based off of a decision.

Parenting is such tough stuff. It is by far the hardest thing I have had to do in my life. We have pre-teens in our home that are starting to decide who they want to be. Who they want to listen to. Who they put their trust in. Where they find their security. How to handle what this life brings.






And with every decision they make, every single day, there are times I wish I could go back 5 years and pour into them more and more.







We are by far not perfect parents. And I am grateful to God that He pours His everlasting grace and mercy into our lives, because sadly, so many times I just want to "tune out".







I am so very thankful for the father my girls have. I am so thankful that he takes time, hours in an evening to listen and to guide our girls. I am so thankful that when I want him all to myself sometimes or have a honey do list, I find him playing softball with them, fixing their bikes, or teaching them how to build something. I am so thankful that he has given them the perfect example of how to love me as Christ loves His church. He would lay down his life for me and for them and I know that they know that. But most importantly, I am thankful that he has shown them the total dependency he has on his Heavenly Father and that the bible is truth. They need to see that, they need to hear that, because apart from God, there is nothing.

It's more then just taking them to church, making it to the soccer game, the piano recital or the yearly trip to Disney.

It's about decisions.

pardon me.........

as we enjoy summertime.....


i'll be back soon :)

temptations

 I feel like over the last month, the beautiful gift God gave as Marriage has both encouraged me, and brought heaviness at the very same time.


I hope you have gathered from little glimpses of this blog, how important I feel about Marriage, and how the destruction of it leaves a trail of issues, that doesn't just affect the two people that said "I do".


I started thinking about statistics a few years ago when it was brought to my attention, how just in our city alone, the divorce rate was painfully high, and I believe, was the highest in the State of Alabama at the time. I would cringe at the thought that one of my three friends would go through a divorce, not to mention, my marriage being apart of that statistic.

Then as life continued on, and statistics would rise, I would fight against Satan, as he would discourage me into thinking that because I watched marriages fall apart around me with peers, I should question the stability of all my family. After all, we carry a past that brings those statistics to light. And statistics don't lie...or do they?


If I were to tell you how many times I have thought about my own children's future in marriage being so completely challenging verses being one of the most precious gifts God would bless them with, then it would be embarrassing.


It started when I held on to the numbers, and the fear that they would not find a husband without a deep past, and baggage for them, started to weigh me down. I realized that fear, was a sin that was being used to distract me from the tools I could be using to teach them because of the statistics, not in spite of them.


I think it is okay to mourn sin, and I am glad I do. But for me, it was when the mourning of sin, became the fear of it, that caused me to not hold on to the truth that God's perfect will for my children's life was indeed perfect. Or that His Son's death on the cross, could redeem any situation. 

And isn't that just the very way we got those statistics in the first place, by questioning God's will for us, and not believing Christ's blood could redeem?


This very knowledge in the depths of how much we crave control and happiness in our lives, was brought to me when I heard a teaching on Adam and Eve. We have all been taught, from a young age, about the disobedience that occurred in the garden; but that is where I thought the sin took place. My eyes were truly opened, when I was shown and realized, that something had to happen before the disobedience occurred. Yes, the serpent tempted Eve, but before she took the fruit, she questioned God's perfect will for her life. She had to have actually thought, that there was something better for her if she took it. And so she did,  and I so often do the same.



In Church, we just finished the series I shared about in the post I did on The Talk. It was designed to target singles, but it encouraged me so much. It strengthened me with the encouragement to continue to persevere in raising my children with purpose. God does have a will for their life. God's will for them is good. It is perfect. I shouldn't fear it, whatever it may be. I should trust that it is far more then I could ever hope for, because He loves them far more then I ever could. And I should pray for His will to be done in their life, not mine, not theirs, but His.

We aspire to raise our children in truth, in believing that what He has for them, is what is perfect for them. Even in tough times, even in the depths. Because what He will do with it, will bring joy to their lives, and fill their souls, if they just believe it to be true and hold on to it; instead of sacrificing it to the mundane, temporary happiness that the world offers them with a piece of fruit.

May we rest in His will for our lives, and flee from the temptations to question it.



To God be the Glory.