Book Collage

I have already blogged a how-to on one of my favorite decorating displays- wall collages. But for our family room, I had a more unexpected wall collage in mind. I think books are a decorating staple, so a book collage seemed like just the ticket.



Since I was actually planning to put nails through the books, I didn't want to use any beloved pieces from our personal library. So the first thing I needed was a stack of books I didn't really care about. Like most of the projects in my home I wanted it to cost very little so I started months ahead looking out for aesthetically pleasing books that were cast-offs to someone else. I raided my kid's school co-op's free pile and a local second-hand bookstore's free bin. I think the most I paid for one of the books was 50 cents at a yard sale.

Some of the books were old and absolutely perfect. But the for the newer ones that I wanted to age, I used a tea staining method you can read about here.

When I finally had enough books, I gathered a few other special pieces for the collage. For mine, I used a fabulously eclectic picture of Steven's great grandmother, a sweet photo of my grandfather as a toddler, a decorative spoon bearing the name of my father's birthplace, an antique wooden sign I picked up in Oregon, and some old water-spigot handles for a random touch.

Now the only tools I need were:

• measuring tape
• level
• hammer
• nails
• photo mounting adhesive (or some other sort of dry adhesive)

To plan it properly I laid it out on floor to figure out the collage dimensions I wanted. Because I could hold the books in place and literally nail through them, I ditched my usual method for collages. Instead I laid the pieces out on the floor until I decided upon an aesthetically pleasing design, and then simply used a level and measuring tape to figure out where to place the first book. I opened the book in the middle leaving two pages sticking up. Then I began to nail in all four corner approximately 1/2" from the page corners. It is important to leave those two center pages untouched for now since they are going to be what you will use to hide the nails.


Then I took my dry adhesive making a strip on the outer edge of the nailed pages.


Once the dry adhesive is on the nailed pages, then simply smoothly those two pages you left in the center onto either side so that they adhere to the nailed pages. Doing this will hide any evidence of how on earth you got those books to stay on the wall like that!


I made sure to mix sizes and intersperse the other items in a way that didn't look too perfect. Isn't that photo of Steven's great grandma just the neatest thing!?


Dressing it up for Christmas was as easy as sticking a little wreath on one of the big books. It's now one of my favorite spots in the house.


The fun of decorating is thinking outside the box...or the bookshelf.

Another Pair of Eyes

I've posted my annual "Favorite Photos" contest over on my photography blog. So I'm soliciting your eyes. If you love photography and giving your opinion, head over there to play the judge for a minute. (Clicking on the photo will send you on your way.)

Happy Tuesday, y'all.

I'm Not Here to Write Their Story

I fell into bed completely exhausted from a typical full day. Steven was still brushing his teeth. As I was dozing off, I remember asking him one last question:

"Am I a bad mom?"

The next morning I woke up and thought back to my last words as I fell asleep. I began to consider how often this question is the topic on my brain as I put my head on my pillow.

I rarely ponder if I'm a bad friend, even a bad wife. But somehow when Isaiah arrived into my life nearly 12 years ago, this is the question I wrestle with the most. I know I'm not unique. I would venture to say that most mothers reading this are nodding their heads in agreement.

There is just so much darn pressure. Parenting magazines made me ask if I spent enough time on the floor with my toddler. Blogs made me question if I am stimulating my children's artistic abilities or even presenting their food creatively enough (sorry, peeps, but my kid's sandwich will forever take the shape of a box). In our sane moments, moms realize that their way to much expectation put on motherhood; but the thoughts still nag at the back of our brains.

But it doesn't stop there.

Then there is the world of Christian parenting. This opens a whole new can of parenting worms in my heart. Why isn't my kid obeying me instantly like that parenting book tells me I need to teach them to do? I don't remember any resources touching on what to do when your one son punches the other...is this that normal behavior? Am I doing something wrong? Am I ruining them? What if I never see my child become a Christian? Will they be in therapy in the future because I yelled at them today? What if I have to parent through intense rebellion as a teenager?

What's wrong with every single question I just asked myself? It's all about me. My control, my fears, my image.

Elyse Fitzpatrick said something that hit me hard: "We were never meant to carry the ultimate responsibility for anyone's soul: neither our own nor our children's. Only the Good Shepherd is strong enough to carry a soul- that's his job, not ours. And although this kind of committed parenting appears godly, it is nothing less than works righteousness and idolatry."

I actually started to breathe easier the first time I heard this. I felt like I had been carrying around an unbelievably heavy load, and the Lord was whispering, "That's mine."

I was meant to nurture, love, and preach the gospel to my kids. But it stops there. I was never meant to carry the burden of redeeming their souls.

I think back on my life. Even though I am in the middle of my journey, I can still see the way God has and is writing my story. Do I want that for my children? Do I want to let God write their story or do I want to write it? Who am I to say that a perfectly trained child and a young conversion is the story they should have?

So what can I do? In my brain, I've whittled it down to a few major responsibilities I have. Here are four major ones:

1. I can let them know they have a problem....and a solution
I often tell my kids that the kindest thing I can do for them is help them see that they are slaves to their own sin, and that someone is going to have pay the punishment for sinning against a Holy God. Then I can help them see the mind-blowing truth that God sent His Son take that punishment for them. I can do my make the gospel exciting and attractive. BUT it ends there. I cannot convert them and should not pressure them into conversion but allow the beautiful Savior to woo them to Himself.

2. I can let them know I'm ready to walk with them through the muck.
Let me give an example to this: Steven and I talked to the boys in honest terms about pornography. My gut instinct would be to simply tell them "don't you dare!", but that would just be opening the door to secret sin and shame. Instead we when we discussed it, though we did talk about the dangerous trap that it is, our emphasis was letting us walk with them through these waters. We told them that they are welcome to freely share what they've seen with no angry parent response. We promised them that we would do our best to walk through their temptations with them. Sin is most poisonous when it is in the dark. Are we will to help them walk in the light by being willing to get down in the dirty waters with them instead of simply standing a those waters edge and shouting at them to get out?

3. I can let them know they can't lose my love.
No matter what stage I have been at in my life, my parent's home has always been a safe haven. I know I will encounter love and acceptance. There were times they didn't accept my attitude or my choices, but I knew they accepted me and the fact that I was part of the family God knit together in their home. I want that for my kids. I want home to be safe, a place to be honest without fear of rejection.

4. I can pray. And then pray some more.
I need to really let that sink in. I have access to the God who has the king's heart as a stream of water in His hands. That is no light thing. Don't underestimate getting on your knees beside your bed and pouring your heart for your kids out to your own Father.

So I'm asking God to position my heart to take a backseat to His story writing. Will His version include a young person impassioned for eternity or will it include a teenage pregnancy? I'm praying that He gives me the grace to mother lovingly regardless, but I have to tell you it feels freeing not to be weighed down with having to figure it out myself.

The Obligatory Snow Pictures

When it snows in Virginia, you're supposed to act like it's a really big deal and post pictures.

So here you go.

You're welcome.







Making snowmen with Auntie...


Instead of snowmen, this mommy plays with iPhones and her own breath...


And you're even more welcome for not posting a thermometer photo.

Stay warm, y'all.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Cry

The Good-

This...


And this...


We got to spend time with both of our families, basking in loving support systems that make us feel rich as kings.

After the fullness of prepping for Christmas, there is nothing like soaking up time with family, nieces and nephews, and peaceful moments...




In fact like all of the best times, it was so good that I hardly thought of picking up my camera. So there the photos end. Christmas break y'all.


The Bad:

I was at an excellent little coffee shop with some of my family, chatting and laughing and instagraming this photo...

When I saw on my iPhone some news that felt like a sucker-punch to the gut. Ethiopia, my beloved Ethiopia, was in the midst of discussion that included talk of shutting down international adoption. I felt like I could hardly breathe.

Part of me was overcome by the memories of the faces of all of the orphans I met on our trip in July. Memories of newborn babies being fed with a cup since they didn't have the manpower to take the time to give them a bottle. Thoughts of those little faces being deprived of forever families.

The other side of the coin was personal. Though I've never seen her face, I've fallen madly in love with our future adoptive daughter. In our home she is part of regular conversation, we pray for her daily, and are already noticing how she has affected our family for good. The thought of not bringing her home is excruciating for all of us. I found this amongst my 7 year old daughter's things after the news broke:


The Ugly Cry:

In my younger days, one of my idiosyncrasies was that I despised letting people see me cry. If I was going to truly cry, I would lock myself in the bathroom since I couldn't even handle the thought of someone viewing my tears. But for the most part, I just avoided crying in its entirety.

Then I became a wife and parent. And some piece of my heart that I didn't even know existed cracked open.

Enter the ugly cry.

For me it seemed the deeper I loved, the deeper I could cry. And that was Friday night for me. Suddenly I felt like a pregnant woman who had been told she should spend the rest of her pregnancy with the very real possibility of losing her baby. Those heaving sobs somehow validated how thoroughly God had allowed my mother's heart to be opened to this little one who was to be my fifth child.

We don't know how this will all play out. We have been told this all may be political talk with no real threat behind it. We have been told it may not.

Right now God is giving us the strength to "bow [our] knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named." (Eph. 3:14-15)

One More Week

Guess which four munchkins are super psyched that Christmas is only one week from today...

Christmas Shopping

Ready for some great Christmas gift ideas? Better yet, ready for some great Christmas gift ideas where the money you spend goes towards empowering women in Africa and India to raise money for their families through a sustainable business?

I thought so.

Here we go; you'll find items on this list for all budgets. Just click the title link for any gift to take you to the spot to shop.

For a Hostess Gift:

Noonday Tea Towels


Fiesta Journal


For Your Girlfriends/Sister/Mom:

Bone Carved Earrings  (I'm absolutely drooling over these!)


Woven Voyage Clutch


Paper Bead Earrings


White Arrow Clutch


Ruth Necklace (Wouldn't this just make any simple shirt spectacular!)


Paper Bead Spiral Bracelet


Shibori Hobo Purse


Carved Jade Bracelet


Mary Sunshine Apron


Crescent Moon Earrings


Seble Scarf (Be still, my beating heart.)


For the Man in Your Life:

Genet scarf


Don't be thrown off by the female model in the link. I bought one for my brother and he looked super studly. Even Jimmy Fallon rocked this scarf:


Fikire Leather iPad Cover


Kalkidan Leather Wallet:


You can find lots of other gorgeous items in the stores of the links I've included in this post. Think of how fun it would be to tell the recipient that their gift was made in Africa or India!

And, wives, you may just need to accidentally, on-purpose make sure this list ends up in your husband's inbox.

Happy Shopping!

Things I'm Into This Winter

Idea swapping is the real beauty of the internet. So let's do some of that here and now. And since I didn't get enough sleep last night and can't think of a snazzy intro, I'll just dive right into another "Things I'm Into" post.

Herbs! I'm on an herb kick right now. Not just for cooking but for decorating/crafting. It started with an herb centerpiece my sister and I cooked up for the Thanksgiving table:

That spilled over into present wrapping. (Don't be impressed- I'm not so organized that I'm on top of wrapping gifts this early, I just had a couple presents that needed to be delivered early):

I even got my girls into the herb action with rosemary tree/wreath miniatures:




And I love that they dry so nicely. This thyme is already dried out and went perfectly with our table's Christmas centerpiece:




Now onto something less odoriferous; how about chalkboard art. I officially jumped on the chalk art bandwagon:



This was actually a simple project that made my handwriting appear much better than it really is. I simply used the same technique as I did with my pallet art by printing out some script I had found on the internet, rubbing chalk all over the back of the paper, then placing the paper on the chalkboard and using a pencil to trace the art onto the board. If that didn't make sense you can find more HERE. I used a chalk marker to get a clean look, but you can also simply wet a piece of chalk.

Speaking of chalkboards. This chalk work that my girlfriend put up on her blog is now the background of my phone since I need the mommy reminder every day:




And now onto those kiddos I mother. Everyone from my 11-year-old to my 3-year-old has been enjoying these printables:

via dabbleandbabbles


And we plan to get into the Christmas spirit one December morning with these:

via happyhomefairy


I'm not a baker, but there is something about the cold weather that makes me want to throw on apron and turn on the oven. I've made these grain-free, dairy-free, sugar-free muffins a couple of times; and they are a hit with the whole family:

via BrittanyAngell 


Finally, here's what my kids are into this winter. They want Santa to be real, so they can ask him for a pompsky. Don't know what a pompsky is? Check out this bundle of fluff:



They're wishing for Santa to be real; because they know that when it come to animals in the home, Daddy isn't quite as jolly as the old man in a red suit.


May you stay cozy and warm and full of ideas this winter!