"Homemade" Photo Canvas!

Recently I have gotten on this big kick of making things myself - Pinterest has, I'm sure, contributed!  :)  One of my BIGGEST hobbies is saving money.  I mean seriously. big. hobby!  Just ask my husband... It's a good thing, and he likes it, but sometimes I get a little obsessive. Ha!  I've made homemade laundry soap, and some other cleaning supplies.

But that's all "work stuff."  And while it's great, (and I'll share some of those recipes soon - in case you haven't yet seen them on Pinterest...lol) THIS post is like a triple-favorite.  I love pictures, I love decorating, and I love saving money.  And this has all three!!

Needed Items:

Photo (my 11x14 was $5.84 at Wal-Mart)
Canvas (got two 11x14 canvases for $3.60 @ Hobby Lobby)
Mod Podge
Foam brush
Black craft paint
Small paint brush

Before I got started though, I had to drag Timothy to the park for a snapshot...

First, I brushed a layer of Mod Podge on the canvas.  Then placed the picture on, centered it, and smoothed out all bubbles.  I let it dry....

Next I brushed a layer of Mod Podge over the picture and sealed the edges.  (Be careful...if you let a "glop" set too long, it will slightly bubble your picture.  Do very thin, even coats.)  I did about 3 layers, I think, letting them dry thoroughly in between.

Next (and here's where I goofed) I painted the edges black.  Next time, I'm going to paint the edges black FIRST.  I had a very hard time keeping a straight line, and not getting paint on my pic!  

After the paint dried, I did a final coat of Mod Podge over the WHOLE thing - including the sides.  Let it dry....

And, wah-lah!  I now have an 11x14 photo canvas in our bathroom!  I think it cost me $10.00-$12.00, and the Mod Podge and black paint will last for many more pics!

Oh...and I kinda like this guy!!!  ;)

Modest swimwear

This is a different post...but one I'm very excited to share!  :)  Most of you probably have already found this site, but it's new to me.  And since this is my blog, I get to be excited and "share" it with ya'll who know all about it!  :)

I love the water, but I don't love the clothing options for being IN the water.  There's the obvious modesty issue with pretty much every bathing suit out there.  (You just don't see a modest bikini very often...)  And then there's the option of swimming in your denim skirt... yep, full or straight, that one's just not gonna go well!

Timothy and I were talking about modest swimwear just a few days ago. And, one morning when he left at a very ungodly hour for work, I went to my trusty search engine, and here's what I found!

Drum roll please... :)

simply-modest.com

Check it out!  Very cute, streamlined dresses made out of the same material as regular swimsuits with knee-length leggings underneath!  Now, they are a little pricey...especially to think about my daughter needing a different size every year.  But, after looking a little farther on the website, I found that they have made their patterns available!  You can buy fabric on their site, but I'm looking on ebay.  Ebay has a lot of the same quality nylon/lycra materials for MUCH cheaper!  Hadlee already has hers picked out!  :)  Now if I can just talk my mom into making them - since I conveniently don't have a sewing machine.  (And it wouldn't do me any good if I did!!)

Modesty (I believe) should not be something that our kids have to "suffer through".  I want to show my daughter that you can be modest and participate in fun activities while wearing clothes in which you feel confident AND covered.   ("confident and covered"...what a concept, huh?  Very opposite of what our world says...)

P.S. When you check out the website, make sure you click the "Why Modesty?" tab and read the owner's message.  I want to buy her stuff, just to support her stand!  :)

Hadlee's artwork & misc. stuff

Hadlee has just recently taken an interest in coloring and (more recently) painting.  She has been hard at work the last couple days.  :)  Her "masterpieces" are much improved from just a few weeks ago, and she was only too happy for me to take some pics.  :)

 Tanner wanted it to be "my turn!" :)

 And here's some other random pics on my memory chip...

She loves being a cowgirl!

 domino towers...

Baby Kendra came for a visit a few days ago.  This caused a lot of squabbling over who got to hold her, play with her, etc.  And Tanner was very offended that he couldn't carry her!  He said, "Hold her for jut a minute? Pwease?  Can I?" 

Tanner's "debut" :)

Tanner loves to sing, and we have tried SEVERAL times to get him on camera.  He always wants to be on the back side of the camera, not in front of it!  Finally last night he discovered if he gets in front of it, he can watch himself afterwards.  (You'll notice he dives off my lap as soon as he's done!)  :)  Nothing like a little vanity for motivation! 

Oh, and you'll also notice his favorite part is "the Bible tells me so"  He is always rather eager to get there!

Contentment

"But godliness with contentment is great gain" - 1 Timothy 6:6

This is one of the things God has been instilling in me lately.  I've heard this verse hundreds of times, but the "head knowledge" of a Bible verse is being transferred to my heart and my everyday life.  And, wow, is this ever a ride for a perfectionist!! 

Contentment flies in the face of almost everything about our culture.  We are to always be pursuing more - more money, more position, more status, more stuff, etc.  We must at all costs experience to the fullest what has been affectionately dubbed "The American Dream".  Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?  Downright patriotic!! 


And we're probably not that different from the average American family - planning to buy a house soon, thinking about vehicle upgrades in the future, enjoying "life" and "stuff"...  And yet in the midst of this, God is reminding me, chiding me, encouraging me that there is not a "plateau" where I arrive and can/should be content.  Contentment is NOW, with what I have and where I live this very minute.  Also, contentment is not just "the absence of discontent"; it is truly enjoying life - as is, right now.  And let's face it, we see examples all the time that simply the addition of "stuff" does nothing for happiness or contentment!

I love schedules, organization, a clean house, an empty laundry basket, and so on.  These things definitely make me feel "content."  While I think these are all very important, I'm trying to learn to enjoy the ride.  Not just enjoy the fulfilled schedule, the clean house, the empty laundry basket, and the organized closets, but enjoy the journey TO these things. I repeat, I'm trying!

A big thing for me recently...
We are wanting to get in a house with a backyard...SOON.  :)  I felt a few months ago that it was just a "necessity" for this spring/summer, but we decided we needed a little while longer to be comfortably ready to buy.  Yet we are finding ways to let the kids play outside where. we. are!  (Imagine that!)  Actually, they are both working on farmer's tans!  :)

And again, I remind myself - contentment is not based on my circumstances or surroundings.  It is a choice I make to enjoy who I have, what I have, and where I am - right now!

Of "food flops" and drama queens...

This is a brief, picture-less post.  But, I'm TRYING here!  :)) 

No, I just thought I'd share a little snippet of my fun and intelligent, but oh. so. dramatic. daughter!

Last night I was fixing supper and realized I was out of a key ingredient.  Now while I'm not a horrible cook, I'm not Paula Deen...or Alicia Goins!  :)  (yes, Alicia, you have me WAY beat!)  So I thought I could fix it - and it kinda flopped.  Apparently this seriously scarred my daughter! 

Tonight I was kinda maxed out, and did something I almost never do!  I texted Timothy and asked if we could just go out.  He was only too happy to oblige (remember last night??) :))  Hadlee came in and said "We haven't gone ANYwhere today!"  (I know...I'm a horrible mother!)  I told her that we were going out to eat.  She looked at me and said "What? We're going to go get something to eat??"  Me: "Yes"  "Are you serious? You mean we're going to go get something to eat, and you're not going to cook??"  Me: "Yes"  "Oh, thank goodness!!  I thought you were going to fix something here!" 

And I say...Why do I bother with home-cooked meals??? 

And Dave Ramsey says....THE BUDGET!!!!!!!!!!!  :))

Catching Up...

I tried to grab some random, recent snapshots for those of you who are not on facebook.  I have lots that I could "blog" about, but it's very late (okay...early!)  Therefore, this will be brief!  We are all doing well - and LOVING the gorgeous Oklahoma weather!!  We have had an extremely mild winter, and the last two days have been in the 80's.  The kids are thoroughly enjoying the fresh air - and we are counting the weeks/months until we can get in a real house with a "real backyard"!! (you'll be hearing more about that soon, I'm sure!) 

Hadlee is 4 1/2 going on 13!  Just when I think she can't pack any more personality, drama, and attitude in her little body, she proves me wrong yet again.  :)  She is sooo fun! And I can't imagine a better big sister!  Sometimes she's too good - Tanner has no lack of loving and mothering.  But I don't know how I'd keep up with him without her.  She is also boy-CRAZY!  I can't imagine where she gets it, but she loves to hang out with them - and she gives me the most smug little smiles as she stands beside them.  All I can say is her daddy has his work cut out for him!!

Tanner is 110% boy.  I think that about sums it up!  (except for the pics you'll see somewhere in this post.  I apologize - I'm not even attempting to worry about this post's layout!  He LOVES his sister's dress-up shoes. He about kills himself trying to walk in them, and he looks hilarious!)  He is getting very into trucks, tractors, and animals.  And his little vocabulary is exploding.  He didn't really say anything until a couple months ago, but now there is no end!  He adores his daddy, but right now, he is a mommy's boy.  And I'm loving every minute of it!  :)  There's nothing quite like him running at me saying "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!"  and the feel of his little arms AND legs as they wrap around me.  I lose my heart a little more every day! ;)

Timothy and I are doing well.  God has been beyond amazing, especially in the last 6 months!  (Not that He isn't always!  It probably has more to do with us allowing Him to be amazing in our lives.)  A lot has changed in our home - for the good!  We feel Him working in every aspect of our lives - I'll probably be sharing some of our stories soon.  But for now, I have to call it a night....er...morning.  :) 

Back to Blogging?

Okay....no one kill over on me! I know it's been close to a year since I blogged. I'm still trying to decide if I want to put the effort out or not. ;) But, I get rather disgusted with facebook quite frequently, and at those times, blogging sounds so much more enjoyable! So, here goes a trial run at blogging again...