Fingerprint Friday

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of god
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of god
And I know its true
Youre a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of god
So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Here's how to join in.

1. Blog with your interpretation of God's fingerprints. Be sure to link back here so others can find the entire list of participants!
2. After you've posted your blog, sign the Mr. Linky below. Have fun exploring the other links as well! Please only sign in if you're participating. Hopefully this will make us look at things through fresh eyes throughout the week!
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I'm so struck by the relationship between a father and his son.
The Man and The Baby have such a special bond and it's great to watch them.
The Baby imitates everything he does. He adores him. And we're so blessed to have him in our lives!
(I'm out of town right now so I'll check the links when I get back.)


(if Mr. Linky is acting up again, just put your link in the comments please.)

Unplug It day.

Happy Thursday!

I'm not a professional.

But I still enjoy card making.
I usually keep them simple and a bit rustic.



I will share my favorite tip -
See that section in the center? It's wall paper.
Yeah, really!

You can get huge books of retired wall paper samples from home decorating stores.
Just go in and ask. They're free.
They're discontinued so the business can't use them anymore.
The one I have is an "Old World" theme.
But they had loads of options for me to choose from.

Then when I'm making cards, I just tear a piece and glue it down.
They have great texture to them.
I'm not a scrapbooker but this would also make a great addition to a scrapbooking page!

Layer in some stamps, flowers, ribbon, Swarovski crystals, buttons, or whatever.

So, don't be intimidated.
It doesn't have to be perfect.
Get out there and create something!

A quick look.

This post has no rhyme or reason, which seems to be becoming the norm around here.
Maybe randomness, in itself, is my new "thing"?

Remember those blue eggs I showed you a while back?
They're all little birdies now. So sweet!


Those baby pictures I took of Trey the other day - this was the basket I was trying to use.
Trey was too big for it.
When I got home I just plopped it down next to a bookshelf in the dining room.
I walked by later and The Baby had put a baby doll on top! Too cute.


All of a sudden, I'm wondering when this -



turned into this.

A walking, talking, stubborn, hilarious, snuggly little boy. Not a baby anymore! How did that happen before my eyes and I just now noticed it this week?

Thank you.

We are deeply grateful.

One year old.

This little man turned one year old yesterday.
And I got to do pictures of him.
I got to take his pictures a long time ago when he was 5 months, I think. (Or three months? Gosh, I have no memory...)
Click here to see those.
I've never seen such a happy child!
(The full sizes are not pixel-y.)



He absolutely would not stop smiling and laughing.
His mommy said he's like this all the time!




I hereby declare that every baby born from this day forward should have light colored eyes.
Dark eyes are pretty too but light ones photograph soooo well!
(2 out of my 3 kids have dark eyes. Dang. Maybe I should start over and try for some that have light eyes.)
I didn't edit his eyes at all. I'm not smart enough to even know how.








Thank you H for allowing me to take his pictures on his birthday!!

Fingerprint Friday

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:
I can see the fingerprints of god
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of god
And I know its true
Youre a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of god
So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them? Here's how to join in.

1. Blog with your interpretation of God's fingerprints. Be sure to link back here so others can find the entire list of participants!
2. After you've posted your blog, sign the Mr. Linky below. Have fun exploring the other links as well! Please only sign in if you're participating. Hopefully this will make us look at things through fresh eyes throughout the week!
---------------


For years I didn't know that you could cut peonies and put them indoors.
I mean, you could, but they always have ants on them, due to the sticky buds.
Then one day I learned that you can cut them and swish them around in a bowl of ice water and those ants will all float away, leaving a perfectly beautiful flower for your vase.
How did I find this out? Legacy. Tradition.
Someone's grandmother told their mother, who told them, and then they told me and so on.

There is so much value in tradition. God designed us to share stories, pass down ideas from generation to generation.
What kind of legacy are you leaving? For your kids, grandkids, neighbor kids, students, nephews and nieces...

God has carefully molded the way we share things, leaving His fingerprints on it.
It's a beautiful thing, tradition.

(If Mr. Linky starts acting goofy, please just leave your link in the comments.)

Crazy.

Just yesterday I was looking forward to the lazy days of summer.
And today I'm feeling overwhelmed at all there is to do.

So pardon me while I ramble for a minute.
We're working every waking hour on finishing the flip house.
June 1 is the goal.
If you're looking for a house to buy in central Kansas, please contact me!
Seriously.
It's a simple little three bedroom, one bath super cute house.

I had to remove the blog followers box from the right column.
It was locking up the blog.
And every other blog I visit that has one gets shut down.
Ugh!
Over 300 followers lost. I hope I get that back soon.

I'm supposed to go to Field Day at the school today, but The Baby has pink eye.
I'm supposed to go for a walk with friends today, but The Baby has pink eye.
Ugh.
Scratch both of those ideas.


I got a ton of orders this week.
You guys sure know how to bail a girl out when she breaks the law! Thanks!


I keep looking at the baby pictures from the other day and I just don't love them.
I wanted to.
And he's as gorgeous as can be, so it was obviously a photographer problem.
I want to reshoot them.
I also have a bunch of other photo shoots lined up.
(If you're in our area and are interested, please email me. I'll shoot you. Wait, that sounds weird...)
Families, kids, couples, high school seniors, etc.


I want to go see my new niece next week! But that means a 3 1/2 hour road trip with three kids.
By myself.
That's scary.
The big kids are great with game boys and ipods.
The Baby, however... He's not so good.


Confused yet?
My mind is all over today.
These pictures were from a walk we took with friends a while back.
The kids caught seaweed and saw a woodpecker.
I wasn't paying attention and had my ISO at 1600. (photographers will understand that that's alllll kinds of wrong for bright sunlight.)
So they're not good pictures.

But they represent how I'm feeling today.
A bit scattered.
A bit innadequate.
A bit flustered.
But determined to get on track.

Summer Resolutions.

I figured out long ago that I stink at New Year's Resolutions.
Those extra pounds don't just go away because I will them to on January 1.

So instead I make Summer Resolutions. And it works great for me!


This year's resolutions are:
1. Hang the laundry on the line. Only turn on the dryer if it's a rainy day.
It's better for the budget, better for the environment, and actually burns a few more calories.

2. Only eat out once a week. This is a tough one.
When the kids are around I tend to just go grab fast food or a pizza because it's quick and easy. But this summer, only one time a week will that happen.

3. Be firm with Unplug It Day. I really don't like this day. It's a huge struggle!
But it's so good for us.

4. Take the kids to the library, lake, or water park at least once a week.


5. Have craft day once a week. (Oh Lordy, what did I just commit to?! This could get scary.)

6. Take more Saturday mornings to myself to hit the flea market, yardsales, thrift stores, and farmer's market.

(My kids get out of school this week, so our summer starts now.)

Welcome to Summer!!


Stop over to the Hooked On party and the Beautiful Life party!
Them's Good people.

A new baby.

No, not for me you sillies!!
First, my brother and his wife had a baby girl this morning. Yay!! I can't wait to see her.

Second, I got to spend time with this little guy, Trey.
How yummy is he?!

He only showed me his dimples once.


I didn't get to do the types of pictures I had in mind.
I forgot that babies a few weeks old are completely different than newborns.
I wanted to scrunch him up in a little wad in this basket. He didn't like that idea.
Yes, I've had three of my own but they sucked away my memory.


I wanted pictures of him sleeping and he didn't like that idea either.

(By the way, his mom has the best hair in the world. Ever. Ever.)
I forgot that the baby is always the boss.

But he was just as sweet as possible!! And he smelled like a baby.
That yummy powder scent.
We had to do a little KU color scheme in the background for his daddy.



Look at his little shoes!


We went inside and he introduced me to Buddy the Bear. Apparently they're best buds.



Perfect little fingers and toes.



Thank you J for letting me spend time with you guys!
Let's do it again when he's about 5 or 6 months old, smiling and laughing.
He is so beautiful!

Oops.

So The Baby was begging for pizza for lunch.
I decided to be a super nice mom and go get him pizza.
Not something I'd normally do, but I was in a great mood.

We're cruising down the road talking about the train next to us.
"Back Ain!" (black train)
"Choo Choo!"

And all of a sudden I see lights in my rearview.
Dang.
Apparently I was doing 32 mph in a 20 mph zone and I got busted.

So, I'm doing a quick sale.
20% off any purchase in my shop with code TICKET20.
Expires Fri. May 22.
Check out as normal and I'll issue a rebate via paypal.

And I promise to slow down.
I haven't had a ticket since I was 18!
Next time he's just getting peanut butter and jelly.

(The Boy offered to run a lemonade stand to raise money for my ticket. haha! How sweet is that?!)

The Blues.

We had a stunning blue sky yesterday. The Baby wanted me to get a picture of the clouds.


We painted the outside of the flip house for about 5 hours. Blue.
I painted, The Baby decided to wear some in his hair and on his booty.


Playing in the tree, The Girl was wearing a blue shirt.


Long and lanky, The Boy played at the park.


He woke up this morning with a case of bed head that was serious enough to give anyone the blues! (nice puffy eyes too.)


The Boy and The Girl went to a baseball game last night and brought home blue cotton candy.


And I know I'm dreadfully late, but I'm finally drawing winners of the Bare Minerals makeup giveaway!
Uhhh, they have blue eyeshadow and stuff.
(Gotta keep my theme going somehow!)
Michelle, Kimba, Amy, Keri, CheddarFish, Hana, Mrs.Loquacious, and Liz you're all winners! Please email me with your address and I'll pop your Bare Minerals in the mail.

Finally, I listed several new pieces of jewelry over the weekend, all on a blue background.
Ha!
Click here to see it.


I hope you have a beautiful day, even if it's filled with blue!

The Buzz.

I didn't realize when I posted it, but this picture is creating quite a buzz!


I searched all over my computer files to show you the originals and I just can't find them.

But yes, this is a super cute and easy Father's Day gift idea!
I don't even remember where I first saw it, but I can assure you that I didn't think it up.
The wooden letters are easily found at WalTarget places in the craft area and are just a few dollars each.

The first year I did it, pictured above, I only had two kids. So I put them in the middle picture together to make it even.
And I printed each seperately, then framed them in a 3 picture photo frame.

This is actually our yearly Father's Day gift to The Man, so here are some other's we've done.

This one was the hardest, because The Baby kept crawling away and I was snapping as fast as I could with a point and shoot camera. (Just tossed a blanket down in the backyard and put them on it.)


This one was last year. You can barely see the A because The Baby wouldn't hold it up.


But there's really no right or wrong way to do this!
Get some close ups.
Print them in black and white or in color.
Have the kids laughing or pouting or even crying.
It all works.
Organic and natural work well with this theme.

By the way, it works quite well with other words too. We did a set of these one year for Nana for Christmas!

If you make one for Father's Day, be sure to share the link! I'd love to see them!

P.S. Thank you Tonya for this amazing post!!! Just stunning.