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Awkward

- when you suddenly realize that it's December 1st and it is warmer outside than in the house.  73.3 degrees, to be exact.  So, you turn the heat off and go around opening all the windows trying to air the house out.  To top it all off, just as you're opening a window, the radio starts playing, "Come on weatherman - give us a forecast of snow tonight..."

- when the entire family is outside trying to catch a stray (and very, very fast) chicken. Ahhh, memories!

-  a car full of mostly adults who are singing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer at the top of their lungs...

-  This one can go in either category, but I decided to put it under awkward. 
   When you intently stare at the guy behind the fabric counter at Hobby Lobby as he proceeds to CORRECTLY answer a couple of clueless college girl's questions about how to make and put letters on a hoodie.  After he finished, I simply couldn't resist such a perfect opportunity...I smiled and said, "So, you been sewing long?"  The look on his face was priceless.

-  when a friend points at a star and asks you which one it is.  Not having a clue, you're encouraged to just take a wild guess, so you say, "the North Star".  This is followed by one of those "you've gotta be kidding me" looks...  So, you look at the star again and only then do you realize that the moon is hanging just below it...


Awesome

-  when you go evening gown shopping with your bestie for a Christmas party she's going to, and not only do you find the PERFECT dress (for a mere $25!!!!!), you manage to get it altered and a matching shoulder wrap made AND watch The Phantom of the Opera all in one day.  Yes, we are awesome. :D

-  when you send a toddler upstairs to wake up your sister.  She comes halfway down the stairs and says, "Mana, her not wake up."  So you tell her to go back and be a lot louder.  "Ok, I be more louder."  Then, a few seconds later you hear, "SAWAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!  WAAAAAKE UUUUUP!!!!"  I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!

-  when you talk to a very special life-long friend on the phone that you haven't seen in a couple of years and you end up going out to dinner the next day.  Awesome. :D

-  when you're home alone and get the uncontrollable urge to clean EVERYTHING.  It's a shame this doesn't happen more often...

- going into a local quilt shop and finding the most adorable airplane pattern!  I literally squealed when I saw it!  I know a couple of little boys who are going to have one of those in the near future!

-  when your 3 year old neice is "helping" you make aprons and says, "I wanna be like you, Mana."  My heart melted!

*******

 

Sorry about not having pics.  I'm having trouble uploading again. :\  Hopefully, I can get it all straightened out one day...

 

Hope y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  

emails, Senators and icecream cones

In this, the last day before all the crazy Thanksgiving preparations begin (well, technically that all started today, but I wasn't here!), I thought I would do another Awkward/Awesome post since it has been a while...

Me and my favorite little sis. <3

Awkward

- The look on a dad's face when he asks his daughter if she wants an ice cream cone and she replies with, "Yeah, but I want ice cream in it too."  I nearly died!

- When someone comes up to you, thanking you for the reminder you emailed them and you're sitting there wondering if you should tell them that you have no idea who they are and you didn't send them any email... 

-  When you are at the (very crowded) fabric store with your buggy piled high with bolts and you're trying to arrange them just so in order to take a picture of them to send to your mother for her approval.  In the process, you go through 15 text messages, 3 phone calls, and about 13 bolts of fabric, all while trying to keep out of people's way and avoid knocking over the shelves...

-  When you come downstairs in the morning after sharing your room with your mother so she won't catch your dad's cold and being greeted with a glare and the very matter-of-fact statement: "You snore." 

    For the record: I do not snore.  I just take very deep and loud breaths in my sleep.  It's good for the lungs.

My new favorite mug :)

Awesome

-  When a State Senator buys your coffee.  Totally made my day!  :D

-  When a total stranger in Walmart goes, "Oh my goodness!  I LOVE your skirt!" and you proceed to have a conversation about sewing.  It is so much fun to talk about something that you love to do with complete strangers.

-  Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel while working on a huge Christmas project.  I can't wait to share the secret with y'all after Christmas!

-  Finding the perfect gift for a friend. :D

-  Buying office supplies.  I can't be the only one who absolutely loves this...right?

The fabric I'm currently working with.  I absolutely love it!!!!

Thinking about making myself some pillows out of the one on the far right after Christmas.

 

I probably won't have the chance to post again until after Thanksgiving, so I want to go ahead wish you all a wonderful and blessed day with your family and friends as we all pause to give thanks to God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us.

 

Love y'all! <3



roots

 

When you think of your roots, what comes to mind?  People?  Places?  Things your family did when you were growing up?  For me, it's all of the above. 

 

Places from my past hold a special spot in my heart.  Ginormous houses that somehow managed to shrink with age.  Streets that were well traveled.  Stores that used to be...(I still call the Belk store in Athens "Profitts").

 

I've always dreamed about one day taking my children to all of my favorite spots, the houses I grew up in, etc., so that they will see the places where Mommy grew up instead of just hearing stories.

 

Unfortunately, I recently discovered that one of my favorite places, and one of my deepest roots, will soon be gone.

 

 

When I was born, my Daddy was a preacher, and this is the little country church that I was brought home to.

Those of you who pass through Riceville, TN on occasion might recognize it.  It's sort of a landmark on Hwy 11.  It was built in 1901 and has the loveliest (though very tiny!) sanctuary. 

When I found out that it is being torn down, I nearly cried.  I love this old church.  Though I was only 3 years old when we moved, I still have lots of memories aided by Mama's extensive photo albums.  We've also been able to visit from time to time over the years.  The last time I was there, I walked into the nursery.  Not only was I shocked to realize that it was about the size of my closet, I couldn't believe that I recognized every single toy!  Absolutely nothing had changed.  The same was true for the rest of the church.  Although, it did seem to shrink every time I walked through the doors and the piano was always a little more out of tune.

I wish I could have gone inside and gotten pictures of the lovely stain glass windows, the beautiful woodwork in the sanctuary, the nursery, the itty bitty Sunday School rooms, Daddy's office, etc., but I'm content to have at least these few pictures and the old ones of the inside that Mama took to show to my children one day.

One consoling thought: the little house we lived in (literally, three yards from the back door of the church) is still going to be around for a while yet. :)

it's November!

...and I am lovin' it! 

Awkward

- When you look up and see your brother standing over you with a suspicious grin and holding an electric razor.  "Um...can I help you????"

- When you are in the grocery store and a 5 foot cowboy comes up to you and says, "Ma'am, you're a lady, can you tell me if this is self-rising?"  Then you look at the sack he's holding and it's a sack of sugar...

-  When your sister tells you that you have a bug on your face and then proceeds to peel a Daddy Long Legs off your face.  What??????????  How did I not feel that????  I am now paranoid and constantly brushing phantom insects off my face.



Awesome

- When you pass a little golden haired girl and her mother in the store in the late afternoon and she looks up at you with her big blue eyes and the cutest smile you ever saw and says, "Good mornin'!"

- When you compliment a little princess on the glitter in her hair and she says, "Ya, I got sparklies! And I got stuff on my lips too! And my eyes are sparkles too!"  Gotta love little girls!

- Listening to choral music (live) that brings tears to your eyes.

- Vacation planning! :D I can't wait!

- Finally figuring out how to rearrange your sewing room/closet/storage room so that it doesn't look like a ginormous heap of stuff.  Still a work in progress, but I'm getting there!

reality sets in...

I just had a major reality check...

ONLY 9 MORE SHOPPING FRIDAYS 'TILL CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*Gasp*

Of course, in my language, this translates as approximately 8 weeks to get all of my gifts made (I've hardly started yet!).  It's actually less than that because we usually have Christmas with my siblings and nieces and nephews a week or two early.

Can you feel my stress?  Lol it's only temporary.  I hope to go to Chatt later to pick up supplies so that I can get started on some things.  I'll feel better then.  I hope... :)

 

Awkward

- When your dad sends you to the Maytag parts store to pick up a new part for your dying drier. Of course, he is thoughtful enough to send the broken part along, just to be sure that you don't come home with the wrong part. So, you walk into the store carrying this dusty bowl looking thing, you set it on the counter and, not knowing what to say, you look the clerk square in the eyes and blurt out, "I have no idea what this do-hickey is, but I need another one". If only I'd had my camera to capture the look on his face.

- Going to the store and the buggie you picked out decides not to reveal the fact that it has the squeakiest wheel ever created until you are already halfway done with your shopping and it's too late to exchange it.

- When a random man stops you and asks your name. You tell him, then he proceeds with, "Were you at......do you work at.......do you know.....etc." for 5 minutes. The answer to all the above is "no" and he finally scratches his head and says, "Then how do I know you?????" Beats me.

- When a well meaning lady asks if you are married and you laugh just a little bit louder than you meant to and everyone turns around to look at you.
Just as a side note: I only laughed because just a little while back someone asked me if I am a student at the county middle school. It's nice to know that I don't always look that young!

- When you haven't seen people in several years and you are confronted multiple times with the question, "So, what are you up to now?" Not having the quick answer they want like, "Oh, I'm working...still in school...etc." you start running down the long list of things that you are currently "up to".

- Having a conversation about cars with a guy friend, which is weird in and of itself, and after he finishes his long tale about his car trouble going into extreme detail about what was wrong and how it was fixed, you say something brilliant like, "That's why I'm glad I have a mechanic for a daddy. Wait...that came out wrong...."

 

 

Awesome 

-  When state politicians remember you name.  :D

-  Running into a friend that you grew up with and talking about sewing, babies, and home decorating.  Such fun!

-  Spending an entire evening indulging in an Clark Gable marathon.  Actually, I wouldn't really call two movies a marathon, but when Gone With the Wind is one of them it sure feels like it!  And of course, one cannot have a Gable marathon with out topping it off by pulling up Judy Garland's performance of "Dear Mr. Gable...You Made Me Love You" on YouTube.

-  That fateful day with you discover dry shampoo.  Life will never be the same.

-  When you're at a festival on game day and you see more Romney/Ryan stickers walking around than orange. 

-  When your two year old nephew runs up and gives you a big bear hug (around the head) and won't let go.

-  A car comes rumbling down the driveway and while you're standing at the window trying to figure out who it is your phone starts ringing upstairs and instantly, "Oh, it's Leah!"  I love that girl. ;)

-  When you and your older brother have the exact same personality and the exact same brand of sarcasm and the look he gets on his face when he's trying to hold it in because he knows better than to mess with little sis (muah ha ha).  It's hilarious.  Unfortunately, having the same personality and sense of humor, I usually know what he's thinking whether he says it or not, so he still gets in trouble! lol

- The look an a sweet disabled lady's face when you ask her if anyone has ever told her that she looks like the Queen.  (She really did!) She laughed so hard, I thought she might fall out of her wheelchair.  Then she pulled out a long necklace with a crown dangling from the chain and said, "My husband always called me 'the queen'."  So sweet!

-  Having a comedienne for a sister.


Just Plain Hilarious

- When out of the blue your little sister says, "I just love my imagination.  It's so imaginative."

- When you are painting the fence and you glop on a bit more paint than is necessary so you start brushing faster to keep it from dripping and you end up flicking paint onto your mother who is on the other side of the fence.  After this happened several times she yelled out, "Stop it, you paint flicker!"

 
So, what's going on with you this week?  I'd love to hear about it!

it's official

Fall is here.

Okay, it's been here for a while now, but we now have chilly temperatures here in the Tennessee Valley and we finally got the fall decorations put up around the house.  That makes it official!

We have two festivals down and two more to go this month.  Needless to say, it's a bit crazy around here.  We've got monstrous loads of dishes to wash after every weekend, a trailer to unload and reload, set up, tear down, not to mention the normal stuff: house cleaning, cooking for 5 sometimes 8 people (I never seem to know anymore...), making sure that the laundry gets taken down instead of compacted into the hamper, keeping up with my reading, the weekly shopping, Christmas planning (some presents are already a work in progress.  It's killing me not being able to share!), keeping up with phone calls, emails, and events (with the election closing in, there seems to be something going on all the time.), etc., etc., etc. 

It looks more exhausting all typed out than in reality...

Awkward

- Sitting in a pediatrician's waiting room and suddenly realizing that everyone - the way cool high school dudes, little kids, teenage girls, moms, dads, grandparents - are all staring intently and open-mouthed at the television which is showing a Disney princess movie. 

-  Attending a political debate and having a gentleman come up to you and ask, "So, why are you here?"  Once I recovered from the rather strange question, I told him why I was there.  He obviously wasn't pleased because without uttering another word, he promptly turned around and strode over to the other side of the room.

- Working on the counter at the fair and having a lady come up and say, "I want a funnel cake with sugar on only one half of it, a ribbon fry, two...no...three teas, one sweet, one un-sweet, and one half and half, no ice in the un-sweet, two cokes and a water."  I just stood there with my mouth hanging open like an idiot, trying frantically to do the math in my head.  I had to ask her to repeat it slowly two more times before I got it right.

-Trying to carry 4 gallon sized buckets of mustard through Walmart because your mother ran off with the buggy and left you.

Awesome

- Being able to wow your little sister.  Earlier this morning, I was sitting in the living room and I could hear Sarah tapping her pencil rhythmically on the kitchen table.  After a while of listening to it, I said, "Sarah, stop it.  It's too early for Jingle Bells."  There was a few moments of silence, then I heard, "How'd you know that's what I was doing?  I didn't even know that's what I was doing!"  *sigh... I'm just that good. ;)

-  Going to the "big city" (otherwise known as Knoxville) and gaping out the window at the strange city folk and buildings.  It was on this trip that we noticed that there are seriously three or four of the same fast food chain per square mile.  Sarah kept saying, "Is all of this really necessary?"  It's fun to look at, but boy was I glad to get home.  Driving through Knoxville is a bit too stressful, even when you have a GPS.

- Finding a pair of suede mustard-colored flats for $3.  Oh yeah!

-  Waking up to find out that your wonderfully awesome mother baked blueberry-lemon muffins for breakfast.  I've got the best-est mama!

-  Seeing another random skirt-wearing family out and about and striking up a conversation with, "Hey, I really like your skirt" which leads into gabbing about clothes, where I bought such and such, sales, thrift stores, etc.  Such fun!

So, what's been going on with ya'll? 

it's Thursday, folks!

The last three days have been a whirlwind of activity for me!  When I try to sit down and think about everything that has been going on, it all comes out like a chalk drawing that someone rubbed their hand over.

It's been a little crazy!

 

 

Well, it's Thursday, so here we go!

 

 

Awkward 

 

~ Planning to meet a friend from Georgia at Starbucks and being completely oblivious to the fact that, while you weren't looking, a second Starbucks was put in on the other side of town.  Therefore, you end up at one Starbucks and your friend at the other.  Talk about feeling dumb!  I live here for goodness sakes!  You'd think I know these things...  This is what happens when you live so far out of town.  You have no idea what goes on. 

 

~ While waiting for your coffee, you reach for your phone and something goes terribly wrong and the phone ends up on the floor on the other side of the room.  I still have no idea how I did this!  I'm just glad it didn't hit somebody!

 

~ Having someone ask you what district you live in and not being sure if they mean the Commission district, House, Congressional, or Senatorial so you just blurt out the first number that pops in your head. 

 

~ Walking across a crowded room and tripping over a chair that you could have sworn was not there 2 seconds earlier.

 

(If you haven't picked up on it already, I am something of a klutz!)

 





Awesome

~ Finally seeing progress on a big Christmas project!  Ask me no questions... ;)

~ A friend giving you the most awesome pair of cream colored heels ever created!  Thanks, Leah!  I absolutely LOVE them!

~  Bandanna waves.  My new favorite go-to blog for hair styles.  This only takes about five minutes to put up (waaaaaay faster than rag or pin curls!!!) and it really works!  It's kind of hard to sleep on at first, but you can pin them so that they stay put and it's much more comfortable. 

~ Telling your three-year-old niece that you are rearranging the bedroom and when you ask her where she thinks you should put the bed, she solemnly points to the window and says, "Outside."

~ Having a clean, rearranged, semi-organized bedroom (no, I did not put the bed outside!).  It's still a work in progress, but it is much, much better than it was!  I now know exactly where things are instead of having five possible places where it could be.

That's all for now, folks!  I've got to get busy, again! 

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

an odd combination

 

Ohhhhh yes!  Peanuts and Coke.

 

I have heard that this is "a Southern thing", but then, I don't know many people who do this.  My aunt and uncle got me started on it a while back.

 

 

I get some weird looks sometimes, but it's good!  If you don't believe me, you should try it sometime!  :)

words

Auburn {as in my hair, not football}

Buttons {what little children are as cute as}

Coffee {mmmmm!}

Delicious {yes, coffee is delicious!}

Elephant {or “ephelant”, as I like to say it}

Faith {as in my name}

Glimmer {like stars}

Haberdasher {not an American word, but I just love saying it!}

Ingenuous {different from ingenious}

Jocular { hahaha! }

Klink {as in the Colonel}

Lovely {or loverly as we like to say}

Melodramatic {as we sometimes like to be at our house}

Notorious {as in Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman}

Original {everyone is!}

Percolator {best way to make coffee}

Querulous {something I have to work very hard at not being}

Ric-rac {love that stuff!!!!}

Simplicity {I say as we throw away and reorganize the house}

Thoughts {I have many of those!}

Umbrella {we’ve need those the past few days}

Vegetation {what I got when I asked Sarah for a fun word starting with V}

Words {!!!!!}

Xebec {look it up}

Yacht {the one word I can never seem to remember how to spell}

Ziegfeld {as in the Follies. It was the only thing I could think of other than Zebra…}

{friday faves}

In love with everything about this picture!  The colors, the patterns, the pillows!!! <3

Highbrush Heels from Anthropologie.  {swoon}  I need to start a

shoe fund.



Mr. James Cagney.  Seriously, how can you not love this guy?



Plaid, red nails, bandana, and coffee.  Perfection! 

{Totally copied this hair-do this morning! Bandana and all.}

Knightley and Me

For those of you who have not been formally introduced, allow me to present Knightley, my camera.

 He is named for none other than Mr. Knightley from Jane Austen's Emma, who happens to be the only Austen hero that I actually like.  (No offense to all of you Mr. Darcy and Col. Brandon fans...). 

I've been laughed at when I refer to Knightley by name.  Why on earth would you name a camera????  Why not?  I name everything else!

Here we are together with Knightley sporting his new strap cover.  I was getting tired of basic black and decided he needed a nice pop of color.  Nothing fancy, just something to get rid of the drab.  (One of these days I'm going to make one of those chunky padded covers with the gigantor ruffles!)

Of course, I had to put his name on it!

I may be making more of these.  You can never have too many different patterns and colors to choose from!

southern speak :)

People tell me I have a thick accent.

Okay. :)

All I know is that my Yankee, Mid-Western, and Florida friends get a kick out of listening to me talk.  Once, I even had a guy from Jamaica spell out words just so he could hear how I would pronounce them!

I have recently been told by several people that my accent has a lot of Alabama in it.  I guess I get that from Daddy.  It also explains why people in my own home town think I talk funny.

It's fun having a naturally thick southern accent.  Because of it, I can say things that non-southerners just couldn't get away with.  Let's face it, bless your heart and I do declare! just don't work unless you've got the proper accent. 

Not only do we southerners have amazing speaking voices, we have our own vocabulary to go with it.

For instance:

"Clodhoppers" are working boots or big clomping shoes.
"Chunkin" something means to throw it.
"Fixin' to" means you're about to.
If you're "laid up", you're sick.
"Sorry" is something that is inferior in quality, or someone who is lazy.
A "poke" is a bag or sack.
If you're upset, your feathers have been ruffled.
If something is overflowing it's "chugged full".
If someone has been misled or hurt they're a "stuck pig".
If something is "cattywampus" it's crooked.
Everyone older than you is "older then dirt".
Asking for sugar means you're asking for a kiss.
If you look like someone, you're "a spittin' image".
Temper tantrums are "hissy fits".
Lights are "cut" on or off.

I could go on, but then, you get the idea.  And, in case you are wondering, yes, I do use each one of these on a daily basis!

On second thought, all of them except "poke" and "stuck pig".  I use those occasionally, but only when I know I'm around people who won't give me weird looks!

I just love the southern language. :)

I'm feeling rather blue...

Have you ever taken a good look at the clothes in your closet? I don't mean just when you're trying to decide what to wear, I'm mean throwing open the doors and taking a long, scrutinizing look. If you've never purposefully done this, you should. It's a eye opening experience.


I accidentally had this experience earlier today. I was mindlessly going about my business, taking down the dirty laundry and putting away the clean clothes, when suddenly, it struck me:

Most of the blouses that I was hanging up were blue.

Normally, this wouldn't seem so odd because it's a well known fact that I tend to unconsciously gravitate towards varying shades of blue as well as black. Not that blue is my favorite color (I don't have one! I know...shocking!), but I just like the way blue looks on me.

But today, I stepped back and took a good look at what was hanging in my closet. What I saw shocked me. Half of the blouses in my closet are blue! This is not an exaggeration. If you were to measure the space taken up by all of my blouses and then remove the blue ones, half of the original space would be empty.

Call me strange, but for some reason this bothers me. I guess it's because it proves that I have no imagination whatsoever when it comes to fashion. I can't help it that I like blue clothes, in fact, the blouse and even the skirt I am wearing at the moment happen to be blue, but something simply must be done! I suppose I am going to have to forbid myself to buy anything blue for at least a year. That should give me enough time to add some variety to my wardrobe! I hope...

At least now that I am aware of the "problem" I can try to switch things up a bit from day to day. We'll see how that goes! With 50% of my closet consisting of blue, I might have to make a chart telling me what colors to wear on what day to prevent my wearing blue every day of the week, which I am sure I've done before and never realized it!

my restful monday ;)

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend of celebrating the Resurrection of our Saviour.  We had a wonderful time with family and friends as we participated in the many traditions of this celebration, beginning with a Passover meal on Friday and ending with a beautiful service on Sunday morning. 

 ******

My week and a half break from posting has been refreshing and also very busy.  After days filled with intense cleaning, cooking, sewing, fence painting, piano lessons, and then, of course, all of the activity of the Resurrection weekend, I am enjoying my first day of chill time and I intend to use it to the fullest advantage by doing absolutely nothing aside from the normal daily duties.  The fact is, I'm not quite sure what to do with myself since I don't have a to-do list staring me in the face and telling me what to do!

I began my day by waking up early (shocking, considering I am anything BUT a morning person, especially on Mondays!) to see the Duggar family on the Today Show.  I was hoping for a new baby announcement from Josh and Anna seeing as how it's been almost a year since little Michael James was born, but I guessed wrong.  I was a little disappointed, but I suppose I'll get over it. ;)

Now, after my morning ritual of coffee and a book along with some quality time with my dear piano, a few phone calls and other various things, I am looking forward to spending the rest of my day doing whatever pops into my head.  Oh, happy day! 

******

I just couldn't help posting one picture from our family cook-out

this weekend!  Our Mollie Grace is growing up so fast!



a couple more...

What can I say?  I'm in the mood to paint.

This is one that I finally finished.  It's copied from a photo I took a couple years ago when we visited Washington D.C.  It's my favorite picture from the whole trip.

For some reason, I became a ranting perfectionist over this one and after about 6 hours of intense work I put it aside.  I was annoyed that it wasn't turning out to my taste so I kind of forgot about it. 

Then one day, I picked up a couple a fan brushes at the store and decided to try and finish it.  The brushes make all the difference!  Next to filberts, fan brushes are my new favorite!

This next one I whipped up this afternoon.  I started out having no idea what I was going to do.  I get that way sometimes.  No ideas, but I just want to paint.  Here's what I came up with.

Believe it or not, this is my first attempt at a landscape.  Well, truthfully, it's not the first attempt.  However, the original took place when I was about twelve and was immediately buried in my closet for reasons that I will not go in to for the sake of my vanity.  Let's just say, that it is not worthy to be called a landscape and therefore does not count. :)

Most people, when they find out that I paint, they automatically think landscapes.  I guess most people do paint a lot of landscapes.  Not this girl.  Quite frankly, they terrify me.  I only attempted this one because I didn't know what else to do.  It's not as easy as Bob Ross makes it look, trust me!  It may be for some people, but I'm just not that great at figuring out lighting and shading.  If I am working from an existing picture, that's one thing, but doing something off the top of my head is another.  Hopefully, I'll get better with practice.

But, for a first try, I like it.  Especially considering that I whizzed through it.  I could have done better if I'd slowed down, but patience is not one of my better qualities...

One thing I did learn: Don't spend forever on a backdrop if you're only going to cover it up with a ginormous tree!





sandal weather...

I do believe that I could get used to this!

the scribblings of moi

I have always loved keeping a journal.  I have a drawer full of them.  There are even some scribblings on scraps of paper that I managed to scrawl out when I was only eight years old. 

Over the years, it's become a habit - one that I don't think I could break even if I tried. 

It's an exercise that I find relaxing.  There's something about putting down my thoughts or even mundane daily things on paper that soothes me.

Some people prefer keeping their journals one a computer.  I've tried and I just can't do it.  Typing things out for this blog is a stretch for me.  I love ink on paper.  I always have.  I used to play with quills just because I loved the scratching sound and the dark blots the ink made.   My thoughts just seem to flow easier through a pen rather than pecking them out on a keyboard.  I even tried it on an old Royal typewriter.  Even vintage doesn't captivate me in this area.

When it comes to the books I write in and the pens I use, I am very fussy.  I like nice, leather bound books and roller ball pens.  Ever since I was little I have wanted a real fountain pen.  One of these days I'm going to splurge and buy myself one.

Needless to say, this is one habit that I would heartily recommend.  As the years go by, it's fun to take out the old journals and look at them from time to time.  If you took the time to write things out, journals can remind you of things and people that you thought were long forgotten. 

Of course, sometimes the memories are not so pleasant, but it is always a good thing to be reminded of mistakes made and lessons learned.  In my case, I have been keeping journals for so long, I can go back and literally watch myself grow up.  At least, grow up to the point that I have reached so far!  Sometimes I have to shake my head and laugh at myself.  I've even had the urge to gather up all of the books dating from the "teenage years" and burn them so that future generations will never know how silly I was!  But, I must be fair.  My grandchildren have the right to know that twentieth century children had the same problems as twenty-first century children. 

One of my favorite things is looking at how my handwriting has changed over the years.  Honestly, my progression in this area is not much to boast about.  My left-handed scribbles are what normal, right-handed people call illegible.  It slants to the left and all of the letters are formed backwards.  What can I say?  I was taught by a left-handed woman.  Unfortunately, she also writes better than I do...

And so, I come to the end of probably the most random post I will ever write.  It really has no point, except to say that I absolutely love to keep a journal and that if you haven't already, you should try keeping one yourself.  I promise, you will enjoy looking back on them one day.

what happens when I can't sleep

What do you do when you can't sleep?  Read a book, watch TV, pace back and forth trying to remind yourself how exhausted you are? 

I've done all of the above, and more.  However, lately I've just stuck to tossing and turning, because getting up and doing something never seems to make going to sleep any easier.

This is what happened to me last night.  It had been a hard day, and aside from the 20 minute nap I managed to squeeze in yesterday afternoon, there was absolutely no reason why I shouldn't go to sleep. 

Of course, no reason except for one teeny tiny little thing.

My brain wouldn't shut-up.

I kept telling myself how tired I was, but my brain has a mind of it's own.  One brilliant idea after another started popping into my head.  This started a heated argument between my common sense and my brain.

"You know, you really need to get up and write this stuff down so you won't forget it."

"No, I need to go to sleep!"

"But these are really great ideas.  It would be a shame not to remember them in the morning."

"I have an impeccable memory, thank you very much!  Well, sometimes..."

This went on for about 2 hours.

Then, something dreadful happened - something that was absolutely detrimental to my earnest desire for sleep.  My brain began to taunt me.

"Well, you probably couldn't do that anyway.  You know, you've never tried it and it would be a shame start something like that only to throw it away."

That was it. I ripped the covers off, donned my robe and slippers and went into the cold sewing room.  I turned on the lights and once I could actually see, I pulled out a blank canvas and started sketching furiously.  Ten minutes later I was setting up my easel, selecting brushes and making a mess with paints.

Then, I turned on Ol' Blue Eyes and set to work.  (It always helps to have good music!)

It was late, and I decided that I was going to paint as fast and a furiously as I could until I was finished and then I was going to bed. 

I was in the mood for happy colors, so I toned down some crimson and bright yellow and slapped it on.

I ended up finger painting most of it.  Who says finger painting is just for kindergartners?

I just love happy colors!

So, 2 1/2 hours after I started, this is what I had come up with.  There's a bit of a glare in the picture.  The skin tone is actually a little bit darker than what you see here.

And guess what?  I actually like it!  I didn't think I would.  I've never done a painting off the top of my head before, I've always copied photos.  Also, I've never done a person before.  I've drawn them (it's not fun...) but adding color is not as easy as it sounds.

So, after proving to myself that I could indeed render my idea onto a canvas and like it, I went to bed.  Of course, it took me another hour to go to sleep, but at least I went to sleep, right?

  

Apron Fashion Week {1}

It's no secret.  I absolutely love aprons.  If I am at home, I am usually wearing one.

Of course, it has to be a certain kind of apron.  I don't like the ones we wear when working out at the fairs.  They're just so thick and...well...man-ish.  I've been trying to come up with a pattern that is a bit more suitable for us ladies and that is also acceptable to the boss.  ;)  I have three months before we start kicking things back into gear, so I'm in no hurry.

Anyway, back to my love of aprons.  Did I mention that I love them?  There's just something about tying on a nice apron that makes you stand a little straighter and feel good even when going about the most mundane chores imaginable.  Personally, I feel at home and comfortable in an apron.

Cheri, a fellow blogger, suggested that we pay tribute to this love of aprons by participating in an Apron Fashion Week.  I wholeheartedly agreed.  You are more than welcome to participate as well!  It's really simple.  Everyday this week I will be posting pictures of one of my aprons.  I may even post pictures of dream aprons that have yet to be made!   Hopefully ya'll will enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoy wearing them!

******

I thought that the perfect apron to begin this week with would be my first real apron.  By real, I mean that it wasn't made out of an old pillow case and confined to the dress-up drawer. 

When I was about eight years old, I became infatuated with Mary Poppins.  What little girl isn't?  I mean, she could sing, she could fly, she could slide down banisters without wiping out (something I found extremely unfair), she could clean a room by snapping her fingers (also unfair), and she could ride carousel horses without the carousel.  Who wouldn't want to be Mary Poppins?

So, I decided to become as much like Ms. Practically Perfect as I could.  After watching the movie ten zillion times, I found that she had something that I needed.  The apron.

After putting on the apron and she seemed to become a new person.  A bit more tangible and human.  That coupled with the fact that it had huge ruffled shoulder straps that I absolutely adored made me decide that I needed one.  I talked about it constantly, always making sure to point out that mine absolutely must have the big ruffles or there would simply be no point in wearing it.

A few weeks later, Grammy surprised me by making me my own apron, complete with ruffles on the shoulder straps.  I was in little girl heaven!  I remember wearing it everywhere: to the store, out to feed the chickens, gathering up the eggs in the skirt, helping Mama in the kitchen.  One day, while helping in the kitchen, I managed to drop a huge spoonful of chili into one of the pockets.  I was devastated.  I didn't realize that my beloved apron was washable.   I guess I never had it off long enough to find out! My parents were forced to draw the line when I begged to wear it to church.  They just didn't understand my eight-year-old sense of fashion.

 

I haven't been able to wear it for years, but I managed to squeeze Genevieve into it for a picture.  My nieces still get some use out of it though.  They love to play in it.

I went through all of our old photo albums and this was the only picture that I managed to find of me actually wearing it.

Weren't we cute?  This was taken around Christmas of '99, I think.  Oh, the carefree days!  Isn't Sarah adorable? ;)

So, there you have it.  My very first apron.  

Do you remember your first apron?

What did it look like?

 

Who...ME?

Over the years, I have noticed that most of the people I know seem to have a tendency to define me based on something that I do or even the way I look.  I think that I've been called just about everything that there is to be called (thanks to my university experience), but there are some things that just seemed to stick:

"Oh, you're the girl that plays the piano."  -That would be me!

"You're one of those homeschooled kids, aren't you?"  -This one was always followed by a plastered smile and a hasty departure, or a torrential downpour of nosy questions that almost always began with, "So, what do you do about friends?"

"Oh yeah, you're the girl that sews her own clothes, right?"  -Well, not all of them.  Goodwill helps out some. :)

"Oh, you belong to that family that has all of the curly hair!"  It's true.  Some people we haven't seen in a while only recognize us because of our hair.

People have referred to me in these ways for as long as I can remember.  The homeschooled one got old, but for the most part, it never really bothered me.  It was all true, so why should I care?  However, over the past few years, people have started using a word in reference to me that I absolutely abhor.  This six-letter word haunts me.  I find it lurking in corners, plastered all over Internet ads, popping out in songs playing in the grocery store, it even found it's way into my own family's mouths.

What is this horrible, six-letter word?  Well, I'll tell you.

Single.

Yes, you read that right.  Single. 

Words cannot express how much I dislike this word.  Every time I hear it, it conjures up visions of a disheveled young woman sitting in a dark, lonely apartment, watching soap operas 'til the wee hours of the morning, clutching her box of Kleenex while pulling her hair and wailing about her lack of a man.  A little dramatic perhaps, but this is my concept of the word and how it is used.

Single is commonly perceived as synonymous with alone.  I think that every woman would agree that her worst nightmare is waking up one morning and finding herself alone.  So, when some well meaning, married individual comments on or asks me about my state of "singleness", I cringe.  I understand that they don't mean for it to be offensive, but it is.  People discuss "singleness" as if it is a horrible state to be in and then they go about trying to "fix you up" and make it all better.

If I were indeed "single" then perhaps I would appreciate the gesture.  However, I am most certainly not single.

No, I am not engaged.  I am not involved in a courtship, nor do I see the potential for one in the foreseeable future.

How then can I insist that I am not single?  I can because I am not alone. 

On my thirteenth birthday, my Dad presented me with a promise ring.  Along with it, I received a large frame that contained each of our promises and what they meant.  While my promise was to remain pure, in keeping with the Word of God, until my wedding day, this was Daddy's promise:

This ring represents many things to me:

First of all, it represents my promise to you -

That I will be an example to you of a godly husband and father

as the Head of our household.

That I will protect you physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

That I will raise you in an environment that is safe, secure, and nurturing.

That I will provide you with the tools to resist temptation.

That I will train you up in the way you should go, so that when you are old,

you will not depart from it.

And that I will pray for you and and your future husband regularly.

How then can I call myself single or alone?  I have my Dad standing along side of me every day and I know that he will continue to do so until he gives me away on my wedding day.  I am so thankful for him!  I know that I am not alone.  In addition to my Dad, I have my heavenly Father, in whom I give complete control of my relationship status.  That being said, why should I worry?  God has a plan for me.  (Jeremiah 29:11)

For a long time, I had my own plans.  Everything was figured out, right down to how old I would be when I got engaged.  I assumed that everything would happen for me the same way that it happened for my older sister (no one told me that it didn't work that way!).  Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that His plan did not include being married before I was nineteen.  His plan did not include being engaged or married as I watched the majority of my friends walk the aisle in their white gowns or hold their precious babies.  No, His plan didn't allign with mine, but you know what?  His plan is better!  For every thing that I thought went wrong, He gave me something ten times better!  I have have been given opportunities that I never could have taken advantage of if I had been married.  By choosing to remain at home, I also have the luxury of spending valuable time with my wonderful and loving family that I would not have if I were married.  I get to work with my parents.  I get to spend precious time with my sister and watch her grow up.  I have a flexible schedule so I can help others, or lend an ear when it's needed.  For these things, I am so thankful!

Do I want to get married?  Most definately!  Am I concerned that it doesn't seem to be happening any time soon?  I think about it occasionally, but it doesn't bother me. Why should it?  God is in control and I have a wonderful life right where He has placed me.  Until He sends Mr. Right along, please don't feel sorry for me.  I am simply an unmarried young woman who is enjoying living her life at home with her family and giving glory to God for every day of it.