What I'm Loving and Not

I love that this girl makes me laugh several times a day! And all her kisses!

(even the attempted ones, ha, ha)

I love that she's so much like her daddy.

She made a little tool box.

Again like her daddy. She couldn't wait to get her bike outside and ride.

This was eleven days ago... one actually pretty nice day.

Family ride to Great Grandmas house.

This shows quite a bit of snow on the side... eleven days ago. I should have taken more pictures a couple weeks before to show the insane amounts we had.

Two days ago, she told me she had to shovel! (Three days ago we had more snow and couldn't see any grass... we got that soon after I talked to my sister in law and she had asked if all our snow had melted yet. I said, well we can finally see grass.)

Fling!

Then today...

Really???? Snowballs were literally falling out of the sky!

And yes, BALLS, they were not flakes!

DO NOT LOVE!

(But I do love my warm house and cozy blankets!)

But on a happier note, other things I'm loving...

a new vacuum cleaner made especially for pet hair... oh yes, I LOVE that!

I also LOVE Norwex cleaning products. If you don't know what it is, google it. Saves time and it's organic cleaning so it won't harm your health or your family's. The towels also contain silver so no bacteria can grow in them! I thought I would never be excited about cleaning products. Ha. There is nothing better (cleaning wise)... in my opinion anyway.

I've also had a little fun on-line buying some clothes for K and me. So fun! It's been well over a year since I ordered anything on-line, so this was a big thrill for me. Who doesn't love getting presents in the mail. It's even better when they are so little and adorable!

What are you loving lately???

Josiah's Nest {interview}

Moriah from the beautiful and adorable blog, Josiah's Nest interviewed me today. Please go HERE and check it out... you may learn something new about me. ;)

Thanks!

Huge Children's Sale

{last fall's sale}

During my design breaks I've been busy getting some of Kaelyn's stuff ready for What Grows Around Comes Around consignment sale. (A percentage of the money made goes to Children's Miracle Network and the remainder goes to the consignor.) If you are looking for some great deals on children's items or even maternity clothes, this is the place to go! I don't know about you but I'm always excited to find a good deal... especially on kids items that get outgrown so fast. Here's more info if your interested in going:

Saturday, March 19th
8:00am till 5:00pm - Open to the Public

Sunday, March 20th
8:00 till 12:00 noon
Open to public with many Items at Half-Price

Family Life Center
Central Baptist Church
3100 Ralph Rogers Road
Sioux Falls, SD

Doing it for Others

Ha, ha! Yes, my nails are actually painted this color. No, I didn't do it myself. Here's the deal, yesterday was spa day at my church again. It is such a fun, relaxing time with a small group of women of a wide variety of ages. We were pampered with a professional massage, a home spa recipe book (we could actually try some of the handmade lotions, facials, etc. there), cheesecake... can't go without good food, hee, hee... there were a variety of good (photo) books to look at, beautiful music to listen too, an Avon consultant was there giving hand massages and painting nails, and more. Anyway, I was waiting my place in line to have my nails done and the consultant had her two young girls with her. (they were 8 and 10 yrs old) Anyway they were so cute and helpful... taking the older ladies dishes when they were done and what not and well they were hoping very much that someone would go for the bright, brand new Avon nail colors. I was previously thinking I would go for a soft metallic pink, but one of the little girls picked out colors for me. :) She was so set on having me have what she picked out, and the little old ladies would ask me what color I was going to get and I said, "I guess a rainbow!" So we went with it. The young girls thought it was awesome and the older ladies got such a chuckle out of it... it was so worth it. I have always loved rainbows... my nails kind of make me think of an Easter egg, but ya know, they make me smile... and they made other people smile. :) It was a good day!

So on to more of doing things for others. I get some interesting convos through my Enduring Arts business. Some are for some good causes like this one that you can take part in...

an Online Auction!!!

A loving couple is on there way to adopting a child from Ethiopia. They feel very strongly that it is God's plan for them. You can read more of their story HERE.

So go bid on some wonderful items and know your helping some other little person's life as well as making a family. Children are such a blessing and deserve to be loved and cared for. I wish James and Emily the best. They will be wonderful parents! Ok, really go look at the goods HERE!

Please Head Over Here

{Weathering the Storm}

Where will the stormy winds take you? I'm guest blogging over at cara-deo today. Cara blogs about her daily thoughts on the devotional book 'Streams in the Desert' by L.B. Cowman. She also shows a visual representation of the day's reading. Today she asked if I would share my thoughts on today's reading that has to do with stormy winds. Please head on over to her blog and share your thoughts. Thanks so much!

Paintings in Progress

{cropped view of painting in progress}

I currently have two acrylic paintings in progress. One is another modern commissioned portrait so I have to wait to share that one, but this is the other one and is so close to being finished. I just have some doves flying in the upper right (you can kind of see a little of the pencil sketch of them showing) to get painted and it will be done (oh I guess the sides too)! This one was so much fun and I think I captured what I was going for. I actually used a sponge as my paintbrush for most of it and blended colors I normally don't use. I've wanted to paint clouds for a long time... something dreamy.

Linking up with Studio JRU. Head on over there to see what other creative people are doing.
Have a great weekend!

Comfort Quilts {so much more than just a quilt}

Just to warn you this may be a rather long post but I hope it will be worth the read... okay just please read the entire thing. :) Thanks!

I am a believer that everyone we meet in this world was meant to teach us something... whether we learn to better ourselves from the good they do or maybe we learn from watching their mistakes... there are always lessons along the way. I met Jacki who is a fellow blogger quite some time ago. She is such a sweetheart, is supportive, and she certainly has a story of her own. She has been a joy to get to know and follow and she is the most dedicated blogger I know. You can see for yourself at Christie Cottage. She is one busy lady!

Anyway a few weeks ago she put on a giveaway (she often does) but Jacki took time to stop by my blog and leave a sweet comment and also mentioned a giveaway going on at her blog. I was so busy that I hadn't been getting around to other's blogs like I usually do but for some reason I decided to head on over there and enter. Boy things certainly happen for a reason.

So I entered the beautiful quilt giveaway that Jacki was putting on for the talented Debbie of Little Piece of Comfort. The next week when I saw Christie Cottage pop up on my blog roll I had a funny feeling and thought, "you think I won that generous giveaway?"... and sure enough there was my name as the winner!

Soon after this is what I received in the mail from Debbie:

Minky material... oh sooooo soft, so snuggly and nice and thick to keep you warm! I wanted one in my size!
The top is made with beautiful satin and has an adorable pattern on it.

Beautiful detail!

But as most things, there is even more to the story than what meets the eye. And it is the story that makes me so thankful for Jacki for hosting the giveaway, for winning Debbie's beautiful handmade treasure and learning Debbie's story of why she came up with these quilts. Let's say it was certainly in God's plan, and it was also in His plan to save her little boy... please read the story HERE.

It goes to show how so much good can come out of what seems like a horrible nightmare. God is working through all of us if we are open to it. And here Debbie is hoping to offer others comfort who need it most.

So not only are these quilts adorable and oh so comfortable but they serve a very good purpose. Just to repeat it again, from Little Piece of Comfort site, "100% of our profits will go toward the donation of these quilts to children who have a chronic disease. Though it is not a cure, this is one thing we can do for those with so many physical problems. These quilts can give love in and of themselves. Never have we seen a child of any age, 1-100, be able to put down one of these quilts without wanting to pick it up again. They are just so snuggly and soft…. and happy. It is an instant “I LOVE THIS!” We hope to instill in the children’s lives a little warmth and love where they may seem so lost and picked on in the world. So many tears are shed in those cold hospital rooms of fear and of the unknown. We would hope with all our hearts that our quilts could bring some smiles, some hugs of hope, warmth and love."

There are so many sick children, I've seen it through being a member of C.O.L.E.'s Prayer Team(a true eye and heart opener), these little one's are stuck in the hospital for an extended period of time, some don't even make it out... anything comforting that can be given to them is a blessing!

So please visit Little Piece of Comfort website HERE and Debbie's etsy shop HERE and please share the news. Supporting her shop is definitely a worthy cause and everyone who is gifted with one of her creations will love it!

I would love to keep the one I won but I am going to give it to someone who NEEDS it, whether it is at a close by shelter or in the hospital.