wedding gifts

I am always at a loss of what I should give when it comes to wedding gifts. 

I don't have hundreds of dollars to shell out when we go to weddings. 

So that is out. 

We have a wedding coming up in August. 

I saw this amazing idea on Decor to Adore

and since I don't have hundreds of dollars to shell out

I certainly don't have hundreds of dollars to purchase that. 

So with a little thinking I came up with this. 

I grabbed my trusty vintage dictionary and started to rip pages out. 

I used J and B pages since there names are Jessica and Brian.

Cut a whole bunch of hearts.

Grabbed a letter stamp. 

and some wood grain scrap book paper

(I thought it reminded me of a tree)

You know when you carve out your loved ones name onto a tree...

are you following my thought process here...?

Went to Michael's armed with my coupon... and found a shadowbox that was already 40 off

plus had a 25 off coupon. 

SCORE! 

I LOVE IT! 

I hope they do as well. 

I showed my sister who is going to a wedding on Sat. 

She loved it too. 

She asked if I would mind if she made one.

Mind??? No way, that is the best compliment ever! 

Go Craft. 

or knock someone else's expensive Craft Art off.

the end.

a lovely life

Eighteen years ago today my life was forever changed. 

You see I was Nineteen and God Blessed My Husband and I 

with this lovely little life. 

After a very hard 27 1/2 hour labor and 3 more hours of pushing 

Emily Elizabeth came into this world.  7 pounds 6 ounces 21 inches long. 

A prefect, beautiful, wonderful little lovely life. 

She was the most amazing thing I had ever accomplished. 

What a joy she was. 

I have never experienced any other feeling like giving birth to my 

3 daughters. All I can say is that it is sheer joy that I felt the moment they 

placed her in my arms. 

I am certain that I have made so many mistakes with her. 

But I am also certain that she will  and has bounced back... 

I love her with all my heart and soul. 

(I have such a hard time showing her this because I have been trying in my 

own strange ways to protect her from the horrible world that is out there. From making the same silly

mistakes that I made) 

She will make her own mistakes. 

Be her own person. 

Be who God made her to be. 

I adore her. 

I am sad that she is turning 18. 

Sad that the years have gone by so very quickly. 

But proud of the accomplishments that she has made and will 

continue to make in the future. 

Oh how I love you, Emily.

You changed my life and made me a Mother. 

You made me what God called me to be your Mom. 

thank you for that. 

Thank you Lord, for this precious and lovely life.  

Happy 18th Birthday, Em! You can always make me laugh. 

The End.

linking up with 

Life Made Lovely  Monday

thoughts...

proverbs 12: 25  Worry can rob you of happiness, but kind words will cheer you up.

Summer top

So I am in desperate... need of some cute summer things. Mainly tops.

I have really wanted to sew myself some things. 

(I haven't sewn clothes for myself since Emily was a baby) 

So I had been eyeing the Amy Butler Keyhole Halter Top. 

It is adorable. 

Being that well,  I can't justify buying a pattern for myself that is 18 dollars... in 

a store that I was looking at it in... I had the idea that I 

may just be able to find a cute little tutorial in blogland.

So, While looking at Ucreate she happened to feature

Sweet Verbena and her simple bow tie top. 

JACKPOT! 

I made this with some navy Jersey knit and Amy Butler 

I definitely had to rework the fabric amounts. But I made it with how she 

suggested and then tried it on... IT was Huge on me. So I took it off cut it down 

and tried it on again. 

Perfect. 

I wore it out yesterday and got TONS of compliments from people I 

didn't even know. 

(don't you love when you make something and people are like where did you get that?

Oh, I made it. ) 

Awesome! 

So here is my try at trying to take some pictures of it... 

Not very good. 

My husbands photography skills were enlisted as we were heading out the door last night

Explaining the awful lighting. and basket fulls  of laundry... 

my lame attempt.. trying to figure out the timer...  above

My Husbands shot below. lol 

the end.

amy

Mistress Mary, quite contrary how does your garden grow?

Gardens

Mine has been doing very well.

Yes, I even have a few tomatoes almost turning red. 

We have had a great growing season. 

Yellow Squash, lots of cucs, green beans, 

and lots of peppers. (all though we haven't eaten the peppers yet.)

Maddie Loves to go out and pick the cucumbers. Then I slice them up (or Sara likes to slice them) 

and she dunks them in ranch dressing. 

(at least she is eating her veggie's)

Beautiful White Eggplant. Lots of them. 

Heirloom tomatos. Mmm mmm

BLT! can't wait.

Bountiful Yellow Squash. 

Snow peas! Yum. 

For the fall, Brussel Sprouts. 

and then I looked up, Sara yelled "Hey A Deer. "

Are you growing anything? I LOVE to have a veg garden. My 

Great Grandfather was a farmer on the land that I live on. 

I can't help but think of him ( I never knew him only stories from my Gram) 

While I am out working in the ( back 40 ) my little veg garden. 

Treasure Hunting Tuesday

  Some may say it is a gift.... I think I may have to agree with them.... 

So here is to Treasure Hunting 

or some may call it 

Garbage pickin'. 

Even once I was told that it had to be one of my spiritual gifts... 

{okay, Jen told me that, but she of course was kidding.} 

I have been on a roll lately. 

& My husband usually rolls his eyes when I bring 

another Glorious bit of junk , I mean treasure home. 

"Do we really need another..." 

Ummm, But of course we do. 

So I thought I would show you what I have found lately. 

This I found my the side of the road today.... Threw it in the back of the van and about a mile later realized it  stunk like gasoline. Nothing a bit of scrubbing won't fix. 

This  is a rocking chair, needs to be cleanes,  sanded and painted. 

I found this amazing folding chair being thrown out one day. I love the color. 

and This beauty, I am going to prime and paint her. Maybe yellow. 

Not sure yet. 

It is a HUGE wicker chair. I love wicker. 

I like the eclectic mixing of the outdoor furniture around the fire pit. 

Kinda fun. 

Do you ever find things? Treasures? 

the end. 

Amy

Lovely Birthday Buttons

Birthday Buttons

I don't really know how I missed this...

I have been through these boxes at least a million times. 

I have collected buttons as long as I can remember. I think I may have been eight when 

my love of them began. 

I was with my mom at an estate sale ( I still know just the house)

and there was a brown tin full of buttons there. I don't know what it cost but

I asked my Mom if I could have them and 

she bought them for me. 

My Grandmother always supported me in this collection. 

She was always clipping a magazine article with ideas for buttons and

tucking it away in her drawer. When we would stop and visit she

would pull them out. 

So.... on my birthday I was looking for something. 

I can't even remember what it was but I was searching for it. 

I came across boxes I had piled up previously of some of my Granma's things. 

I am not sure how I missed these treasures. 

2 cigar boxes and 1 wooden bowl FULL of buttons.

The Talk of the Town

Seriously, look at these... I am so happy that Granma was a sewer. 

how'd she know that her 2nd Grandaughter would adore all things from the 30's and 40's and 

LOVE buttons? 

I believe that God had put them there for me only to find on my birthday and think of my Grandma. 

She passed away and went to be with the Lord 2 years ago the day before my Birthday. So I think I get a little bit down on my bday's now.. (and I am getting old...) 

These yellows ones maybe my favorite! 

with all their swirly yellow goodness. 

I adore that a lot of them she had written on. 

this one says, " Extra Buttons for Marian's sweater made in Florida Spring 1986" 

I have that sweater tucked away in my closet on the shelf. Gram always wore a sweater! 

I just made this last night I thought it needed a little button... PERFECT! 

this is one of my favorite pictures. My Aunt Bee gave it to me when I was caring for my Granma. After I told her how humble I felt washing her feat. She went home and dug this out. It is

me when I was about 2 right at my Gram's feet. 

I miss her a lot. it doesn't get any easier. Only knowing that one day

 I will be able to rejoice with her in Heaven. 

I am happy I was looking for that "thing" I was in a foul mood too because

I couldn't find it. 

Thanks for my birthday buttons, Gram. 

note: this is the keychain clutch by Keyka Lou Patterns

linking up to