| Word for 2012 |

For the last number of years I have asked the Lord to give me a word as I approach the New Year. This has become almost a New Year's tradition of sorts for many wonderful girls I know...a tradition that pushes us to listen to God's voice speaking to us, taking the time to hear Him and silence ourselves.

It signifies moving fully into the New Year with direction and confidence in where God wants us to go....and I LOVE it!

Last year my word was "identity." And true to His word, God was ever present in changing, shaping and reforming my identity. I feel like 2011 was a year of growth and refinement... anyone that knows anything about refining something knows it often takes pressure, heat and sometimes pain to refine something...but the end is oh so worth it.

As for this year, I am really excited and encouraged with the word I feel God has given me:

The word "promises" is the plural form of the word promise...according to the dictionary the word promise is defined as:

1. a declaration that something will or will not be done, given, etc., by one.

2. an express assurance on which expectation is to be based: promises that an enemy will not win.

3. something that has the effect of an express assurance; indication of what may be expected.

4. indication of future excellence or achievement.

5. something that is promised

There are many things I believe God has promised, things shown that have not yet come to pass, and things not yet seen that He promises through His word. I am filled with faith and looking forward to 2012 being a year of fulfillment.

Within days of God giving me such a great word I heard this song for the first time. For some of you it may be old news....but for me it was confirmation that yes, I did hear HIM right!?!

http://youtu.be/NYj1dp5rMaU

If you haven't asked God for your word for 2012 why don't you?!?! I'd love to hear what He shares with you.

New Year | New Word | New Blogging

Hello Blog-land! I am so glad to be back. It's been years - literally - since my last posting and so much has changed in our life. I have been debating resuming my blogging for quite some time...really assessing why I blog, why I don't and what kind of life I want represented on my blog if I did resume.

I am looking forward to sharing bits and pieces of our life's journey over the past year as well expanding the direction of my blog focus.

One of my most treasured items is a hand written recipe of my mom's, a special occasion recipe that I remember signifying love, comfort and mom. I love that its hand written, I love seeing her hand writing and I love the memories that resound for me each time I look at it. I want my blog to be the same type of thing for me and my family....a written note filled with faith that brings memories, love and comfort.

So as I venture back into the blog world I pray that faith would abound in my posts, encouragement would be found, memories would be preserved and creativity would bubble up.

I look forward to sharing with you my word for 2012, a few insights from the class I'm teaching at our women's bible study at church and even some recipes my family loves and some new ones I'm itching to try as I continue to try and bring healthy food to my kitchen table.

Here's to a fabulous and inspiring 2012!

FALL WREATH | Bring out the Burlap!

Last night I need some therapy!

The world has been spinning around us in a million directions and I needed some time to relax & not think anymore about how life was going to fall into place.

I take no credit for this idea. However, the moment I saw a post by Emily @ Jones Design Company....I knew this project was high on my to-do list.

Even with having our house for sale I NEEDED some FALL in the place! I have been trying to keep things so tidy that I have cleared out all decorations and have missed FALL terribly.

Enough with that I said, and out came the burlap!

Here's what I came up with:

Here's a close up:

There is no way I can do Emily's tutorial justice so to get the step-by-step visual guide to make one of these beauties go HERE.

The burnt orange wool flower I added on is also one of Emily's creations, click HERE for the flower tutorial.

The wreath form and leaves I got at DollarTree in the USA

The FALL twigs I had from an old wreath/garland.

The fabric I picked up at FabricLand - have you even look through their remnant bin/section - some good stuff in there!


It was just the thing I needed last night and I love seeing it on my front door.
Hope you have time to enjoy Fall in all it's splendor.

*L.

Back to School | The Love of Routine and All things FALL - PART TWO

Back to school was EQUALLY exciting - if not more so - for another little lady in our house. Miss Emma-Bemma was starting her second year of preschool and she was bouncing around the house once Wednesday morning arrived.

She was adamant she got to go to school on Tuesday when her sister did, so, she packed up a backpack FULL of treasures to take to school and put on her nicest dress. Unfortunately all she got that day was a date to Starbucks with mom and the backpack stayed in the car.

But, once Wednesday came, it was Emma's day and she was ready:

I am so thrilled to see Emma have the time - without big sister around - to really let her own little personality shine. She is a sweet girl, she always has been, and I pray she'll always keep that soft & sensitive little spirit of hers. Along with that she is silly and such a goof ball. And really is Miss Personality.

I know she is going to have a fabulous year ahead full of learning, fun and a great memories.

When we arrived at school it took everything I had to convince her I DID have to come in with her. She was ready to jump out of the van to head in on her own.

And when I picked her up she said, "Mom, I had a fabulous day at school!"

Doesn't that just make you smile.

Back to School | The Love of Routine and All things FALL

Tuesday marked the first day of school for one very big girl in our house!

Miss Madelyne is a serious school girl this year - I mean we're talkin' first grade, all day, every day. Lunch at school and fun on the playground with all her friends.

Her supplies were labeled, organized and ready to go:

We had stopped by the school on Labour Day to see who her teacher was and check out the class list:

Here's my big girl all ready to rock grade one:


Did I cry, you ask?? Well, the day of school - NO - I know this is going to be such a great year from her, the day before as I prepared everything - YES - and here's why:

Part of me wonders if I've done all I needed to do to prepare her for this big, and sometimes, nasty world we live in. From now on she'll get just as much "deposited" into her from others as she will from her daddy and me. In her six years of life she really only been a part from me for a handful of days, so to release her into this big world of ours is overwhelming at times.

Sounds a little dramatic when you put it in the context of grade one, so, here is a taste of what my prayer for Miss Mo has been as she embarks on years ahead of full time school:

Lord, she's yours. She always will be. I'm here to teach her, guide her and help her be the girl YOU made her to be. I pray that all she knows to be right and true would stay deeply routed in her soul. That as each day goes by she would learn and grow but always stay firmly grounded in the roots we have established for her. Thank-you Lord for the good things you have for her, for all that is to come and how you will use her - even in grade one - to shine for you. May she not be affected or drawn away by all that the world can tell her, would she hold tightly to what her soul knows to be true. May this year be full of learning and fun, new friendships and more quality time as our time together is now so limited.
Amen

UGLY LAMP Makeover

Hello Lovelies!!!

It's been far too long (so long that even hubs emailed me and told me to update my blog! - haaa!) so I guess it's about time to catch up.

I'll fill you in on all we've been up to around here over the next while, but, I was excited to show off my newest project: UGLY LAMP makeover!

Not sure if this is how things play out in your house, but this is what happens in mine:I had been searching for a buffet or sideboard of sorts to use for the dining room. Nothing to expensive...I've got kids and I know it will get damaged at some point...and I came across this beauty on Craigslist. $40 later and a trip into Vancouver and it was mine. I love the lines and shape of it, the femininity of it...so girlie and pretty. I had hopes of using it as a large dresser in the girl's room, but alas, it was too long, so, down it went to the dining room.

So, now the buffet needed lamps....so I moved the lamps from my bedroom to the buffet as they were the tallest lamps I had in the house. "Shop Your Home" as Nester says!

Next problem = now I have no lamps in our bedroom! Bahhhh, I can tell hubs is thinking this is going from bad to worse.

So, fighting my human nature and love of shopping I avoided going to Home Sense and buying the most lovely, pretty FULL PRICE lamps for my room and instead ended up at my good friend Sally's. Sally Ann's to be exact. And this is what I came home with:
At $9.99 each I couldn't pass them up. I loved the shape of them and knew with a bit of TLC they could be stunning. I had a pair of white round barrel shades at home from a previous set of lamps that were 'busticated' by you guessed it - kids - but I saved the shades for such a time as this.

My plan was to spray paint them a metallic chrome silver so they would have a beautiful reflective quality and look elegant and pretty in our room. This is the photo journal of what happened next:
|From left to right |
Top row: Lamps in garage ready to be primed | my friend SPRAY PAINT - primer, silver and clear gloss top coat |one primed one to go |one silver one to go!

Bottom row: Lamp inside to inspect and give final verdict | shade option 1 | shade option 2 | final verdict = don't like them! Silver is not chrome finish at all...next step..find paint in the house and redo them!

So, last night after my house was still, the windows were open and a cool breeze was coming in I did what any mother would do: re-do them in the peace and quiet!! I decided to avoid the metallic thing and stick to a neutral color as I change my bedding often. I love the trim work color of our house, its an antique white color. So I pulled out our gallon of paint and went for it.

First I rubbed down the high spots with the candle to keep the paint from adhering in certain spots - give it a more rubbed/antiqued finish. Then I grabbed a brush and painted.
I painted two coats last night and rubbed off the high spots in between coats. Hubs even commented on them this morning and said he really liked them. I did one more coat today and then sprayed them with the clear top coat and here is the end result:
And yes, if you look close enough there is a faint round ring on my table - apparently the paint wasn't totally dry when I put the lamps there for their photo shoot! Ooooppps!

Total cost:
Lamps: 2 @ $9.99 (no tax at Sally's!)
Spray paint: 3 @ 4.47 (but I will return the silver because its junk!)

So for $30 +/- a few pennies I will new beautiful lamps for our bedroom. You can't get one lamp at Home Sense for that!!!!

I also have visions of attaching a wide band of lace to the shade or hanging a tassel from the lamp base itself...if I find something that will work when I go to the USA next I'll show ya!

Next project: Laundry room....making it pretty so I want to fold laundry!

| May I Introduce |

It's hard to believe that two weeks and two days have flown by already. Pardon the delay in this post, I'm sure you'll understand my hands have been full - beyond measure - the past sixteen days.

Now, I'd like to take the time to joyfully introduce you to our son:

Zachary James BakerBorn on February 23, 2010 @ 10:08am
Weight: 8 lbs, 9 oz
Length: 21"

Also known as "Zachary-Baby," "Zach," "Zach-a-wee," & "big boy"!!! Baby Zachary is truly a joy to our little family. Not only has he added a bounty of love to our house, he's added a significant dash of blue to our oh so pink world.

(Stay tuned for new posts, entitled, "Dash of Blue" - featuring stories of Zachary and what its like adding a boy to a girlie world)