Neighborhood of Color

Do you sometimes wish you could just inject color everywhere-- houses, clothes, sidewalks and buses... murals on every building, crayons in every child's hand...?

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When did we stop dreaming?

When I was a kid, I always wanted a playhouse outside. And a home with secret passageways. Hidden doors. A slide on my bed. Stepping stones in the yard. Little things, really.
But I had forgotten.
And now I'm in a position to do *some* of those things.
The secret passageways in my house might be a bit too far-fetched although you KNOW I still want that.
But I can manage some of the others.
It's within reach.
I'll keep you posted. :)

Updating The List

Do any of y'all remember my 35 Things To Do Before I'm 35 List? Well, seeing as how I'm about to be 31 (still young, folks, still young!) I thought I'd update it.

1. Write letters. Lots of letters. Make a point to thank children for their help and kindness. DONE; I've been pretty diligent about this, and even reinstated Letter Writing Friday with the kids.
2. Host a Wonderland Tea Party Still need to do this, asap! I have had mustache and polka dot parties, though.
3. Volunteer at the Children's Shelter or Pregnancy Center. I'm going to try to give what I can, by painting the NB resale store at no charge. Must get started on that soon!!
4. Run a 5K. Hmph. I'm no closer to this than I was when I set the goal ;/
5. Host a Cooking Club Night. DONE; I did a Greek night awhile back
6. Canoe. Soon.
7. Finish painting the bathroom and kid's rooms (including mural.) Buggers. I had to restart Izzy's because she didn't like the color. This may take me until I'm 35!! I've repainted the living room twice since the list started!
8. Make my own iron-on transfer shirt designs Sooooon.
9. Paint a very large canvas. I bought it. Does that count for somethin'?
10. Finish the Family Tree
11. Get my bike fixed, and start taking family rides. Well, I did get the kids new bikes. But mine still isn't fixed :(
12. Host another Art Night DONE
13. Take all the kids rafting (so far only three have gone) We're planning to do this in May or June-- woot, woot!
14. Reopen my Etsy shop DONE Nest In the Sun
15. Take all the kids to the beach (only three have gone) DONE We went to South Padre last summer. Simply the best vacation ever.
16. Go rock climbing. I may end up zip lining before rock climbing. And I'm serious.
17. Finish 20 "book portraits" (paintings on book covers-- I've completed two so far) not yet
18. Go with Fred [and kids] to a Walton Arts Center Performance (we've never gone together.) We're going tomorrow, to Imago Theater's ZooZoo
19. Make a scarf. DONE, several times over.
20. Take kids to the Discovery Museum. DONE, with and without the homeschool group
21. Go to another local play DONE
22. Make more of our own clothes. I've made some, but I'd love to do more
23. Organize the baby book contents (and memory boxes, too!) not yet
24. Get back into my favorite jeans. arrgghh not yet
25. Pay for a stranger's meal. ...when we're not unemployed...
26. Go tent camping with all the kids (only three have gone so far, but we have a trip planned this month) soooooon
27. Submit artwork to the downtown art store. pricey than I thought, but I'm submitting to other places.
28. Write and Illustrate a children's art book. in the works
29. Videotape an interview with each of the kids. I'd totally forgotten about this. oops.
30. Sew matching summer dresses for me and Isabelle to wear. She's not really interested, my dear tom girl, so it may need to be skirts...or shorts...
31. Host some bloggie giveaways; share the love. DONE, even on blogs not my own
32. Paint pictures of each of my children. need to do
33. Visit a nursing home. Bring handmade cards and goodies. (I won't risk singing and giving anyone a heart attack!) still want/need to do
34. Send unexpected Just-Because cards and gifts to friends DONE
35. Give myself grace if I don't get this list all checked off. Am doing

35 Things to do before I'm 35...

Many of these things I plant o do in the next few months, or multiple times...

In no particular order:

1. Write letters. Lots of letters. Make a point to thank children for their help and kindness.

2. Host a Wonderland Tea Party

3. Volunteer at the Children's Shelter or Pregnancy Center

4. Run a 5K

5. Host a Cooking Club Night

6. Canoe

7. Finish painting the bathroom and kid's rooms (including mural)

8. Make my own iron-on transfer shirt designs

9. Paint a very large canvas

10. Finish the Family Tree

11. Get my bike fixed, and start taking family rides

12. Host another Art Night

13. Take all the kids rafting (so far only three have gone)

14. Reopen my Etsy shop

15. Take all the kids to the beach (only three have gone)

16. Go rock climbing

17. Finish 20 "book portraits" (paintings on book covers-- I've completed two so far)

18. Go with Fred to a Walten Arts Center Performance (we've never gone together)

19. Make a scarf

20. Take kids to the Discovery Museum

21. Go to another local play

22. Make more of our own clothes

23. Organize the baby book contents (and memory boxes, too!)

24. Get back into my favorite jeans

25. Pay for a stranger's meal

26. Go tent camping with all the kids (only three have gone so far, but we have a trip planned this month)

27. Submit artwork to the downtown art store

28. Write and Illustrate a children's art book

29. Videotape an interview with each of the kids

30. Sew matching summer dresses for me and Isabelle to wear

31. Host some bloggie giveaways; share the love

32. Paint pictures of each of my children

33. Visit a nursing home. Bring handmade cards and goodies. (I won't risk singing and giving anyone a heart attack!)

34. Send unexpected Just-Because cards and gifts to friends

35. Give myself grace if I don't get this list all checked off.

What's on your agenda?

Mistreating the walls...and windows...and furniture!

Well, my sister Amy bought me a gorgeous print a couple weeks ago. I'd been pining for it, as it is to be the inspiration for my living room makeover. The darling gal set me afloat. How wonderful it is to have interior design-y people in the family. Today I had a scheduled consultation with her, to pick out paint colors, curtains, and a color for my furniture. Yes, I plan to sail into uncharted territory and recover my sofa and love seat by myself. Of course, it does help that my husband builds furniture for a living.

Where was I? Ah, yes. We picked "Spring Glow" for the walls, "Garden Sprout" for the accent, and a bright reddish orange "Paprika" for the furniture color. Curtains are also "spring glow" with yellow sheers behind them. This. Makes. Me. Happy. COLOR. My phrase for the room is "Simply Cheerful." Not too far-fetched a dream, eh?

I did just redo my living room (in fact, ALL the rooms) when I was pregnant, but that was more of a nesting thing, in my defense. And it was springtime. So I thought that dark, deep, intense shades would be great. You know sophisticated or something. It turns out that deep and dark, although gorgeous, is rather depressing to me during the cold wintry months when I 'm stuck in a small house with four small children.

Neither of my sisters have ever designed a room that didn't turn out stunning, so I have total confidence in them. Me? Well, I'm crafty and all, but I just don't know how to put colors together. Hence my signature "squiggly eye" handmade cards.

I love Nester's philosophy. It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. Why get your panties in a bunch, when something might look just as phenomenal with a quick color coat? I'm hoping that my couches look fabulous, but I'm not gonna sweat it if there are some crinkles or wrinkles. I'll just pretend that I intended it to look that way. Just hoping for no stray nails poking out! I may sleep on them before I invite any of y'all over again. Unless you think it's worth the risk. You could always just sit on the floor. Did I mention that I'm going to save for a rug, too? Oh yeah, baby!

So, anyway, I am VERY excited! Especially because I found so many great deals. You know me, I'm all about saving money!-- you know, since I have none. :-)

In other news, my Dad and hubby headed to the Naturals game tonight. Fred caught a ball. It would have hit my Dad in the face. (Way to pay attention, Dad.) Fred is totally psyched! He wrote the game info on the ball and then announced that it's going "in the bathroom." Yeah, poor guy just gets a bathroom. Hey, I think it's a pretty great arrangement. I decorate the whole house, and he just worries about one measly bathroom. He can do whatever he wants to that room (within reason, I mean, come on!) There are football figures, Chicago Bears colors, old action heroes, and now a famous baseball. No wonder he spends so much time in there. ;-)

Now, must get to bed. I won't be able to paint again until the kids go to bed tomorrow night.

So tomorrow we will dance and sing and jump around in our new half-way painted living room. And the kids can help me make more plans. Maybe we'll play Twister again while we discuss it.

Some portraits

Okay, well, I got the camera on the... umm... 5th? Maybe? I can't remember now. Today is the 12th, right? So I've done 5 people packages and 1 pet one in 7 days. It's been fun. Here's a sampling of my people poses (I have permission to post these, btw. If I take your picture, I promise to get permission before I use any!!) Here is my sampling. They're all on my other site, too, in various places.
The Woods portraits samples


The Burdens' portraits samples


The Burnett's (or is it Burgess, shoot, now I can't remember)


The Fosters

The group kid pics for a grandparent gift

Woo-hoo, world get ready!

The camera and equipment came today!! What a nice surprise after an absoluetly awful morning. I doubt I'll post about the unpleasantness. ;-) But I am THRILLED now to have new toys. Again, thank you all for your prayers and support as I pursue this dream. God continues to open doors through friends. My friend Julie has gotten me on the path to take photos for the Benton County Fair. October is talking me up, to take some senior pictures for her students. Church members already have me booked for Christmas photos. Thank You, Lord, for Your provision.... and the pleasure you provide with it!

Just ask!

Okay, so I'm floating on cloud 9 right now. I can overlook all the little things: the messy house, the misbehaving toddler, piles of laundry... because my long-awaited dreams are being realized, and I am so HAPPY about it! :-) Jump, jump, jump.

I've read some friends' blogs lately that got me thinking. Really, what am I supposed to be doing? What's my gift? My purpose? Am I already fulfilling it, without realizing it? Is God using me behind my back, so to speak? Or do I need to be consciously looking for more of a "calling?"

I took a spiritual gifts assessment in Sunday School. It surprised me quite a bit. Apparently I'm a great helper, and high on mercy. But teaching and evangelism are not strong points, (supposedly). Anyway, my friend Shelley wrote about this awesome drum player who was so obviously fulfilling his calling. I want to be doing that.

Okay, so all this rambling just to say that I started really analyzing my strengths, weaknesses, passions. What do I love? How can I use it? How can it glorify God? My top things are my family (duh), and photography.

In a previous post I mentioned my dream of starting my own home photography business. Friends encouraged me to pray, and prayed with me. Then my parents said they would buy me a super nice camera for Christmas. SO I asked if they would...um... please give it to me now. And they said yes! Yea! I'm learning that it doesn't hurt to ask about things.

It's not just open doors, but it seems to be an open road, and I'm getting lots green lights. I know God sometimes says "no." And He sometimes says "not yet" or "wait and see." I know that not all of my prayers and dreams would be good for me, and He knows what is best. But it sure is pleasant when the two align, you know? :-)

My grandparents had already given me a really nice tripod, and I already have plenty of props (hello, homeschoolers with four kids! ha ha). So now I am just setting up a portfolio and a website. What fun! Oh, and my sweet uncle is getting me Photoshop CS3. YEA!

So please keep praying about this for me. I am excited (thrilled really), and we could certainly use an extra income. It's not easy for 6 people to live on a factory worker's income. This seems to be God's solution to a lot of our problems right now. He has such wonderful gifts for His children.

And you can check out my site ForgetMeNots by Wendy and give me some ideas and feedback. It's obviously just at the beginning stages, and I have a ways to go. And I don't have the new camera or software in my hands yet. When I get all that, the website will take off, with new pictures, enhancements, what have you.

Btw, I keep mis-typing it "frogmenots" so if you see that, you know what I'm talking about! ;-)

oh, where to even begin??

So much to blog, so little time! ;-)
Okay, I may ramble a bit again, but apparently some of you (October at least) doesn't mind that.

Today was a wonderful day for me. I had four prayer requests answered in less than 24 hours!! I feel compelled to share, so keep on reading if you want to know the juicy details!

First of all, we got money! YES! It was that unexpected, right-when-you-need-it kind of money that just flies into your lap. My grandparents always know when we're ont he brink of disaster, I think. I know we all have direct links to God, but their reception is very clear, and they get these impulses to just do things.

Okay, second one: my baby pooped. Yes, it is a big deal. Breastfed babies usually poop every day, but little Oliver had gone several days and was being very fussy and gassy. Not like him at all. I prayed about it and he pooped. So thank you, God, for that. :-)

Third, Trevor initiated his potty time today! That's a big deal for me!! He didn't pee in his pull-up all day at pre-K (3 hours) and his teacher said that he asked to go twice. YEA for small miracles.

Fourth, I had this dream about someday doing photography from home, as a part-time job. I LOVE doing it, and any extra money could certainly help our family. I figured this would just be one of those unrealized dreams because, really, how many people can do that? But two dear friends asked me to pray about it. And, voila, now I have access to a SUPER nice digital camera. One that I would had to sell my furniture to buy! Puzzle pieces, just sliding around and coming together.

Ask and you shall receive, right? Well, Lord, I'm gonna keep on asking, and feel free to keep on pouring out the blessings! I'm just basking in the glow today. And, even on my not-so-answered-days, I love the Lord for who He is and what He does and how much He loves me. He loves to lavish gifts on His children. If we know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more does He know? :-)

dream big and color the world

Okay, I'm just having WAY too much fun with photography and editing!! My dear uncle Keith recommended some photo software. Oh, the joy! It doesn't do much, but it's a start! I'm excited to be actively pursuing such a fun hobby. My big dream (and prayer): to do this for a living. I'd LOVE (love, love, love) to take pictures in my own studio, with my own equipment and effects, and then edit it myself.
A girl can dream, right?
Here are some of my favorites that I worked on today (during the time I should have tackled the mountain of laundry). :-)