This is my very first painting on canvas!  It turned out ok.  Yes, it's a hummingbird. I did start out following the colors of a real one and when I couldn't find enough photos to get a good idea of all sides of the bird, I improvised.

I am entering a contest at The Nester.
I want to win one of these awesome signs for my home!  You can enter too!  Just visit her blog and follow the directions!  This contest is brought to you by DaySpring and The Danielson Designs Studios!  Isn't that so nice of them?!  Create your own sign for your home!  There are tons to choose from!  Go to: DaySpring-Danielson Design Studio.

If you could do ANYTHING and be guaranteed success, what would you be doing?  Define success for yourself, as that word can mean different things to different people.  I thought this would be a really fun question to answer.  Please leave a comment!  Be extravagant! There are no rules (well keep it family friendly please LOL).   Take a little time to dream! 

I personally think my first two choices would be an artist or a decorator.  Something that lets me use my creative side and get my hands dirty! 

I am back today with another challenge.  I seem to be full of those don't I?  If I post it here, I have to follow through on it!  So it's a good thing.  Have you seen the movie Fireproof?  There is a book that goes along with the movie, called The Love Dare.  K-Love is doing the love dare on their blog and with hopefully millions of their listeners.  Imagine the impact on marriages world wide!  Even if your marriage is super fantastic, you can still use this!  So come along with me, it won't cost you anything!  K-Love has put all the information for each day on their blog and we're only on day 3 so it's not too late to jump in and get going!  Let's fight for our marriages and keep families intact!  Today's entry is convicting.  Selfishness.  That is truly the root of all evil.  Not money like we so often say!  Good luck!  You don't need your spouse to participate either!  If you've seen this movie, then you know that.  If you haven't watched it, I encourage you to do so!  Alright, ready, set, GO!!

Day 3 of The Love Dare

For the new year, K-love wants to make a difference in 2010 by doing a NEW you in 52 challenge.  Now they are mainly focusing on food and diet.  I am thinking of the overall picture.  Why not a new you in 52 weeks, in what ever part of your life you want!  Each week, work on adding something new to your life.  Whether it's changing spending habits, saving money, shining your kitchen sink each day, trying new foods, etc.  You get the idea.  Of course, the idea is to keep the habits or new things you've done the week before and keep adding to it! 

Why not make it fun?!  Drop some old habits, create some new ones.  This last week I started shining my sink every day.  No dishes in the sink or on the counter is my goal.  We don't have an electric dishwasher.  We have a manual one, meaning ME   I hate doing dishes.  I especially hate doing dishes that have been sitting in the sink for any length of time.  It's gross.  Dirty dishes seems to really irritate my man, so that is another reason I want to keep them clean. 

Have some great ideas for the 52 weeks?  Tell me about them!  I am going to need ideas!  Good luck to you all!  Keep it fun (ok, I know like shining your sink is fun!).

The New Year is upon us.  Can you believe it's 2010?  I remember Y2k so very clearly.  It was actually the worst year of our lives to be honest and I am glad to kick it out the door (hard with pointy boots on).  I pray that this new decade brings goodness to everyone!   Have you taken down all the Christmas decor?  I have not, I must admit.  The tree is long gone but the rest is still hanging out. 

The question is, do I put it ALL away or leave out the snowmen?  What do you do?  I should probably pack it all in.  Spring can't come soon enough.  I'm ready to see the sun again but realize, that is many months away around here.  Mostly, I want to hit garage sales and find some treasures   I have figured out which pieces of furniture my home needs and I am ready to start scouring the countryside for them.  I have realized the longer we live here. exactly what we need to fill the space and what we don't (like toys!  Ok, that one isn't going away any time soon LOL). 

I have also decided against New Year's resolutions.  Why set myself up for failure each new year?  I know what my goals are, they don't change just because there's a new number in the calendar year.  Plus, my goals will remain the same for the rest of my life, so I will just embrace them and keep working on myself!  I realize that all life coaches would disagree with me.  No time line means you're not working towards anything attainable (I'd just keep changing the deadline so why bother).  They're probably right but I'm ok with that.  That's why they get paid the big bucks to try to fix people and I don't! 

So Happy New Year to you all!  Feel free to comment and share your goals for the year or for your life!  Maybe you'll motivate me

A recent study done by  public health expert Nathan Grills from Monash University in Australia, has declared jolly old Saint Nick a public health menace.  With that big old belly that jiggles like a bowl full of jelly and his speeding (yes, speeding while driving a sleigh) may put our children at risk for bad health choices and Santa may give them H1N1.  Santa needs to ride a bike and eat carrots with his reindeer to front a much healthier life style to children.  Seriously? 

Grills apparently donned the suit of the big guy in red and says, "I was kissed and hugged by snotty-nosed kids at each performance andwas never offered alcohol swabs to wipe my rosy cheeks between clients."  Why not take your own sanitizer if you are that worried about the germs?  Can't you just see this man being jolly Santa?  Ho, Ho, NO!  Don't touch me, you snot nosed kid!  Yikes!

I really hope we never embrace the skinny Santa.  I say let him eat cookies!  My kids don't think they need to eat only cookies because Santa does.  Let's give our children a little more credit for thinking than that!  How else is Santa going to fly through the sky in a sleigh if he doesn't speed?!  Doesn't he require magic to fly?  Let's ban his magical powers as well because kids might try to fly and that could be really dangerous too!  Speed is required for airplanes and jets to fly too, duh!  If Santa were skinny,  wouldn't the reindeer go even faster?  Less weight to carry!  Maybe PETA should get involved.  I mean, those reindeer are probably being mistreated carrying all that weight!

Doesn't Santa live with elves?  As any mom knows, hanging with the little people is EXHAUSTING!  So maybe Santa needs his comfort food to deal with the elves and stay sane.  Plus, being a big guy makes him appear authoritative which you've got to have when you're dealing with elves.  They're pesky!  What else does the poor guy have to do living in the North Pole?  Brrr....

As I recall, doesn't Santa do a lot of deliveries of bikes, scooters, sleds, and roller skates at Christmas?  I know I got a few bikes as a kid from him!  So see, Santa DOES promote a health lifestyle for kids! 

If you are worried about the germs Santa may be carrying, sanitize your child's hands after sitting on his lap or don't go see him.

Leave the silly traditions alone!  Do we have to take the fun out of everything?!   Next they will say that Rudolph's red nose promotes getting a cold!  To think this man was actually paid (probably well) to do such a silly study!  Ok, vent over. 

(Thanks to Jane Atwell and Angie Svoboda for scrapping paper and elements)

I have decided to join the Christmas Tour of Homes.  Because my home is so fabulous and perfect?  Haha, I just choked from laughing.  No, not even close!  I have had some fun finding new decor this season (I'm not done yet) and thought, why not?!  I have been very silly in really decorating my home because I was waiting for certain elements I want.  Well, I might be waiting forever at this point so it's time to get moving on making my house a home that truly represents our family (and me).  

So take a look around.  Shield your eyes from the dust and my ugly Christmas tree.  Yes, this year's tree I really hate.  I am ready to buy a fake tree on sale after Christmas!  Nothing's perfect around here!  I do have 4 children, remember!  3 of whom are rough and tumble boys and they have taken out a few decorations already this year!

We'll start off with my favorite items!  My nativity set that my MIL has added to until completion the past few years!  Thank you!!! ♥  Not crazy about the garland but it's what I had.  Also, you will notice my blank chalk board.  Oops, erased it before I realized the children had confiscated my chalk.  So when I can finally locate it, envision it saying, "Emmanual, God is with us".  


Above the wood stove is my giant snowflake that I made this afternoon!  I can't get a straight on shot but you get the idea. 




Here is my wood stove.  I took the Nester's advice and made my own garland this year (see her Most Wonderful Christmas Garland Ever Tutorial).  It's still a basic garland and I think for now I'm satisfied with it.  I'll probably add to it as I find things to put in it.  It is so pretty at night with the fire going and the lights on in the garland.  I didn't dust the wood stove because, well it's hot!

The stockings say, "Santa, I've been good" and if you turn them around they say, "Santa, I can explain!"     They may have to be turned around for a few of the kidlets



On each side of my wood stove are two ginormous speakers (those suckers need to go SOON).  Here are the tops of them.  I LOVE my white goblets which I paid under $1 each for.  I am kicking myself for not buying another one that I saw at an antique store recently.  They are sooo very pretty with a tea light candle in them!  Yes, that's two of my precious boys.  They are now 13 and 7 1/2!  The sleigh photo is on display at the photographer's in the mall every year!  (Proud mama moment)


(So pretty at night!)

Above the wood stove are these vases.  Yes, I do know that my dear husband hung the metal upside down.  I've been too lazy to fix them. 




I found this topiary at Goodwill.  It beckoned me through the window and I had to have it!  I didn't bother changing out my flowers above.  Oh well.  Do you see my window mistreatments?  Still a work in progress but I hung them anyway!  I love them but I'm sure they won't be everyone's favorite!




Here's the ugly tree! Sigh... I'm just posting a pic that is dark with lights because, all trees look good with their lights on.  Right?!


On top of the tv.  Yep, that's dust!  Eek!  Close your eyes and keep scrolling, it is offensive!   I got those cute little milk jars from an antique mall for $1.50 each!  I dropped a tea light into them and they are just darn cute!  Yeah, I'm weird!   Oh and that is a nativity scene inside a NUT!  Isn't it cool? 






The top of my beloved coffee table.  Someday it'll get a coat of paint but for now, the kids are going to thrash it.  That's a photo of my little Emma! 




Here's my chest that the cats are very quickly ruining.  Sigh...  I want to put a red ribbon around my lampshade still.  Yes, that is baby Jesus all alone in the middle there.  I bought that glass nativity set from the dollar store years ago.  As you can see, the kids love to play with it.  I have no clue where everyone else migrated to but maybe they are on their way to Bethlehem.  Jesus really shouldn't have arrived early!  That's just so wrong...



And lastly, here is my snowman and a few shelves!  My mom recorded herself reading, Twas the Night Before Christmas.  The kids LOVE it!  Those recordable books are cool!




And here are my ceiling lights.  I break every decorating rule and keep them up all year long.  I like the soft glow they give to my living room.  I still have not fixed my pictures since I rearranged the living room.  Someday...  Eph 5:2 is painted on the wall for those wondering.


Phew!  We both made it to the end.  I am going to go spike my eggnog now because that was a lot of work!  I now remember how much work it is to get my photos onto this blog.  Hopefully you haven't been bored to the point of drooling on your keyboard.  If so, wipe up and check out more homes on tour!  Seriously, some of those homes will have your mouth dropping open with amazement!  No drool bib required, well maybe.  You may drool with jealousy.  I will pray for your sin of envy. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Come visit again! 

Feel free to leave a comment!  I do have to approve comments due to my spammer/stalker/commenter   Someone has too much time on their hands.

There will be MORE TO COME!  I'm just getting started here! 

Check out this adorable Christmas ornament!  You can make one easily!  See my tutorial here!

Check out the fantastic Christmas Tour Of Homes that is officially started at The Nesting Place.  It is so fun to see how everyone decorates and to glean ideas from others!   Have a fantastic time looking around someone's home and yes, you have permission to snoop   

I told you I'd start posting things of the decorating nature here!  I couldn't let my audience down (and my one spamming stalker).  Enjoy and Happy Christmas Decorating!  You still have time to create some new and lovely things!

You might have noticed that I've been cleaning house on this blog today (likely you did not but roll with me on this one).  There were lots of links to lots of blogs, mostly to blogs I don't actually read or go to.  Time to get rid of those.  Plus, in the blogging world, it's not proper blogger etiquette to not link to someone's blog if they link to yours.  So buh-bye to all those extra page hogger links!  Who needs them anyway? 

I have been thinking lately about what my blog is really about.  You know, I don't really know.  Is it a blog for moms?  Money savers?  Christians?  Decorators and crafters?  Or just a blog about lots of stuff?  Probably a bit of everything.  I'd like to narrow down the topic of this blog and I have decided it's going to be mainly about decorating and crafting, with a sprinkle of other things here and there.  Why'd I choose this topic?  Because it's something I LOVE.  Not much makes me feel happier than creating something beautiful with my very own hands.  So now you know!  You should be very afraid! 

I will be linking and providing buttons to some fellow crafty bloggers.  Check back for those!  These women have some amazing home decor and yes, some do have amazing homes *I am not among those women.  Don't get me wrong, my home is nice but it is far from amazing!  Stay tuned.    I'm off to fire up the hot glue gun!