DIY ENGINEER PRINTS, ROUND TWO

Well, after being totally thrilled with my first DIY Engineer print, it only took me a year to get around to doing more, hahaha. I knew where I wanted to hang more large prints- on either side of our downstairs office window- but finding an affordable set of white frames and deciding what to put in them took considerably longer. The heat really turned on when I found out we were moving away from the states and away from Staples, where I have these done for four bucks a pop, so I figured I'd better get to it while I still could!

There's a song by the David Crowder Band on their Give Us Rest album that's a simple, folksy, and stunningly beautiful tribute to the fact that Christ wrapped Himself in humanity and came for us. That he was "faint and weary" when He sought us. That He worked hard, sacrificed much, and ultimately poured Himself out for our sakes; a reminder I need every day as I meet weariness of my own.

So, here's a big praise for our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, and for the David Crowder Band for glorifying Him with such beautiful music. Listen to the song here! You'll be blessed.

HANDY SNACK BRACELETS FOR THE KIDS

My two little helpers have been tagging along to lots of my appointments lately, and that poses some challenges! Like how to interact with the doctor or vet when there are strollers being knocked over, crawling all over the floor, or little fingers exploring the very enticing medical instruments within reach. Haha! You know what I'm talking about moms.

Actually, Asher and Silas are usually very good in public, praise the Lord! But there are still those times that call for a distraction, which is why I was inspired when I saw this DIY cheerio necklace by Lenya over on Raising Miss Matilda. I happened to have pipe cleaners and a bunch of left over Apple Jacks from Asher's birthday party favor bags, so we had to try our own version of wearable snacks. And yes, they help! Not to mention we had a great time making them together, although I did most of the making and they mostly just sampled, haha. But keeping a stash of these in a small plastic container in my bag has made a big difference when we're out. We don't normally keep sugary cereal in the house, so these are truly a special treat for the boys!

SUPPLIES

Pipe cleaners

Apple Jacks, Cheerios, Fruit Loops, etc.

DIRECTIONS

String the cereal onto a pipe cleaner and twist the ends around each other to close. Store in a hard plastic container to prevent them from crumbling in your bag, and then enjoy!

Easy as can be, right? And thanks again to Lenya for the great idea!

ASHER'S A-MAZING "A" THEMED BIRTHDAY PARTY DECOR

Hi there! I'm so excited to share some the details of Asher's 4th birthday party decor! I had a lot of fun planning it and putting it all together, although I have to admit that it took me a while to come up with the direction for it. Asher doesn't have a favorite superhero or toy, which made pinning down more conventional ideas hard. In fact, I was at a total loss until the "A-mazing A" idea struck.

Remember these inspiration I started with from this post?

I stuck to it pretty closely starting with a big, quirky "Welcome to Asher's A-mazing A Party" display with twine and clothespins, full of fun "A" items; an aardvark, alien, axe, artichoke, airplane, anchor, argyle socks, astronaut, antlers, Arkansas, arithmetic, armadillo, ant, alphabet, arrow, abacus, antelope, asteroid, atlas, alligator, acrobats, anvil, and of course- the best one of all- Asher!

THE "A" WELCOME SIGN

THE ACTIVITIES
'PIN THE "A" ON THE A-LPHABET'

I've always loved typography so I will never turn down an opportunity to make giant, printed letters!

And...

"THE A-MAZING PAPER A-IRPLANE MAKING STATION"

Equipped with cardstock in black, orange, teal, and pink {couldn't forget the girls!}, chalk for decorating their paper, and- of course- dads to help the kids do the folding.

THE ACCESSORIES

THE TABLE SETTINGS

I wanted to keep the orange, teal, and black/white color theme consistent, so I made sure the plates and cups matched the balloons. The black and white paper straws might have been my favorite little accessory.

'A-MAZING "A" TREAT' FAVOR BAGS

I put together these simple favor bags using brown lunch bags, orange and teal decorative paper, printed "A"s, and clothespins as fasteners. Inside were "A-pplejacks", "A-nimal crackers", and "A-lmond Joys".

THANK YOU CARDS
 And lastly, I just so happened to spot orange and teal thank you cards at the Dollar Store...

Photos of the big day and the birthday boy are coming next!

AN EASY EGG CARTON CRAFT FOR KIDS

If you're looking for a quick, easy, and inexpensive craft idea for the kids, these egg carton masks are it! With cold weather upon us, we've been spending a lot more time indoors lately and it's great to have simple activities to occupy the boys. I got the idea for it here, and saw another great one for girls here. And the best thing is it didn't require a trip to the store, we already had everything we needed.

SUPPLIES
A cardboard egg carton
Scissors
Craft paint
Paintbrush
Optional- elastic string to attach to each side of the mask for wearing
 

What about you guys? What are you doing to keep your kids busy these days?

ENGINEER PRINTS

I finally got around to doing an Engineer print! Staples offers these oversized black & white prints in three different sizes for super cheap. This 24x36 was $3. I've been wanting to make large Scripture art like this for the longest time. And since Psalm 119:54 references a house, it seemed like a good one to start with. 

"Your statutes have been my song in the house of my sojourning."  

As a stay at home mom, it goes without saying that I spend a lot of time at home. This place is incredibly important to me. Not for the sake of the walls that give it shape, but for the life that it holds. It facilitates day-to-day life for my family and it's a joy to pour out my energy here. All of my energy. And I'm finding that the larger our family grows and the longer I run a house, the more organized and deliberate I have to be in all that I do. After all, things are growing. Over the last few years, our family has doubled in size {from two to four!} and our resources have increased as well. Throw in our recent relocation{s}, the birth of our newest family member, and a deployment, and I think it's safe to say that there's been a definite increase in responsibility! 

I have so much yet to learn, but one thing I do know. For every ball that gets added to my stay-at-home-Army wife/mom juggling routine comes the necessity of an even tighter grip on the Word of God. Of a deeper understanding of my utter dependence on Christ and His Spirit within if I hope to get any of it right.

But that's what struck me about Psalm 119:54. It addresses my need for God's commands and it addresses my house! With all of the work and routine and sense of permanence that can come with my home when it's my job to tend it day in and day out, I need to remember the foundation that this house stands on: "{His} statutes..." If I'm not careful, it's incredibly easy to let my own initiatives take over. To get so busy living for myself that I forget that all of this is really about Him. To mistake that thing called the Bible for merely a book, forgetting that it is actually life-giving bread. That-unlikely as it may seem at 7am- it is more vital than my morning coffee. 

And when I treat it as such- as my first priority of the day- it acts as the blessing it is promised to be. His commands truly do become the "song"that they are called. Just as a song can literally get stuck in my head, biblical living takes root when I'm diligent to stay in the Word and rely on it's guidance every single day. 

And then- by nothing less than the grace of God, and with the lead of my wonderful, godly husband- that same song fills my house and is learned and loved by my children. And I hope it blesses every neighbor and friend that sets foot inside our doors.

And there's one more beautiful picture in this Psalm. This physical house where I pour out so much of my life is one of "sojourning". I need the constant reminder that I am indeed a sojourner, a pilgrim. This is my temporary house, not my eternal home. And though the people within it have been entrusted to my care, they belong to Him. So, all of the joy, challenge, fulfillment, and even the I'm-going-to-pull-my-hair-out moments that come with running my house must be tempered by the fact that it is only a house. And every moment I spend with and on my family must be tempered by the understanding that they are His and that I will be held accountable for how I treat them. 

These are things of eternal weight.

And I need these reminders more than anybody, because I absolutely thrive on having a clean, organized, efficient, comfortable home. And I really, really like it when those within it stick to my program. But for the days- and there are many- when my home and my family is a picture of the exact opposite of "clean" or "programmed", I can't become a slumped pile of discouragement. Life is about glorifying God, yielding to His plan, and recognizing that He is the source of every good thing. That I can't do any of it right without His Spirit working within me. That only when I let go and am diligent to take His lead that His statutes can carry my life like chords carry a song. In my home, in my family, and in me. 

GOODBYE, WALLPAPER!

It's been a busy few months of home renovations. Remember the wallpaper that lined our center hallway and it's partner in crime, the dark burgundy paint beneath the chair rail? GONE. It's amazing how much lighter and brighter the hall is now! And, as intimidating as the project seemed with the high ceilings, a great friend a the right tools made it a fairly simple process. I knew absolutely nothing about removing wallpaper before diving into this project, but we learned a few things along the way. First and foremost, there was no need to buy special tools. After experimenting with a variety of methods, the best supplies to get the job done were:

Supplies
1) A spray bottle filled with warm water. {We also tried a clothes steamer, but it was much harder to maneuver than a simple spray bottle.}

2) A large plastic spatula straight from the kitchen or a plastic spackler/scraper {the thing you use to smooth out joint compound when you fill holes in your wall}. For high or hard to reach places, a long handled ice scraper.

3) A desk or chair to stand on.

4) Some bleach spray for any mold spots you may uncover.

5) Arm muscle and patience!

The Method

1) Start with a small, isolated section of the wall if possible. This way you figure out what you're getting yourself into before passing the point of no return, just in case you decide to abort mission!

2) Spray the seams of the wallpaper with warm water and begin to peel it off. 

3) Once the actual wallpaper is down, you'll see the glue backing still on the wall. Drench this with as much hot water as possible using the spray bottle and then scrape it off with the plastic spatula {a metal one will damage the wall}.

4) Be as thorough as possible so that you don't have to go back over the wall for small pieces. But where there are pieces left, sand paper takes care of a lot of it without having to re-wet the wall.

5) If you find any mold spots {we had a few}, spray them down with hot water and bleach cleaner and then rub down the surrounding areas.

The New Paint
We used Walmart's basic white interior paint for the upper portion of the wall and then Valspar's Frappe, from Lowes, under the chair rail. This is the second home we've used Frappe in and it's a great color!

For more detailed how-to instructions and different method reviews, check out this post.

Happy De-Wallpapering!  

PUTTING HIM FORWARD

So I saw this very, very inspiring quote in a She Reads Truth devotion a few weeks back: 

"From the time she wakes up, __________ is quietly doing what needs to be done to put forward Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of Man." 

I'm not big on New Years resolutions, but there is something so powerful about this. It's more than just a resolution, it's a way of life. And it reached out and grabbed me and before I knew it I'd made my own printable version! Once it's printed, the goal is to hang it next to my bed as a fresh reminder each morning of why I'm here.

I'm here for Him. For His plan. For His glory!

Though my life is still riddled with frailty and uncertainty and sin, His isn't! He is perfection, and because He gives Himself freely, His perfection is mine. It's yours. It's ours. 

If only we'll reach out and accept it...

Let's press on together as we strive to put Him forward this year. In fact, if you want to join me, send me a favorite photo of yourself and I'll {do my best} to make a personalized resolution for you to print out, too! {sarahkeller1@gmail.com}

Happy New Year!

MAKE YOUR OWN FEATHER EARRINGS

So, I've always loved big earrings, but have never been able to wear them. {Thanks to my small, attached ear lobes.} But I found a compromise...feather earrings. They can be both big and lightweight. I've been wearing them for years now, and I started making my own a while back. They are so simple and so inexpensive {about $5 total}. 

All you need are 

1) the feathers

2) the earring pieces 
3) small pliers {I couldn't find mine this time, so these are somewhat optional}

You can find these in most craft store jewelry sections in a big variety of colors and styles.

Have fun and Happy 'Thanksgiving Week'!  

AN EASY PAPER FLOWER WREATH

So, I've never been much of a crafter, but I'm attempting to change this. Mostly because there are lots of fun crafts to do with kids, and partly because I have almost no seasonal decorations and they're much more cost effective to make rather than buy. But with curious little fingers around the the house and a general lack of time, my "crafts" have to be quick and about three steps or less. 

Hence this wreath.

I'd been wanting to make a wreath for months. I was sort of going for a fall look, but the outcome was a little more "all year-round country". It only took three items and five minutes to make. I used:

1) a plain wicker wreath
2) decorative paper flowers
3) decorative clothesline hangers

All I did was fasten the flowers onto the wreath using the hangers, no glue or messy supplies necessary. Now that's my kind of craft!

What are you guys making these days?

ASHER'S COUNTER

The boys and I have been busy making this little farmhouse our own. We've been living here for a little over three weeks now, and what started as a blank slate is gradually looking more and more like us. The kitchen has a small bar that now belongs to Asher. He eats his breakfast here, draws and colors here, listens to the bible here, plays with his cars on the carpet. I'm usually bustling about the kitchen, but sometimes I even sit down and enjoy this little spot with him.

This is what it looked like in the beginning;

And it's still a work in progress.

But it's coming along. 

It's nice to keep it stocked with fun things. Like a big roll of paper and some containers filled with crayons, cars, and window markers. Even the bunny {that I made in middle school shop class} and that Asher recently painted. Speaking of painting, this room started with all white walls. You can hardly tell in these photos, but the new color on the wall in the 'after' pictures is a light aqua-gray. I'm happy to say to say that I'm happy with it! {I hardly have to time to be painting walls these days, let alone repainting them.} I mulled over shades for a little while but ended up matching it to a color in the kitchen rug. That's a fail-proof as it gets.

This space is by no means 'done'. I'd love to hang up a shelf and some art, as well as some cork board to tack up Asher's arts and crafts. But we still have 35 weeks to weather this deployment, so, God willing, there's plenty of time for the finishing touches. And we're so grateful for what He's provided for us here while we wait.

What spaces in your home are you working on these days?

YELLOW LIONS

During our extremely brief stay back home in Watertown before Thane deployed, we knocked out a few fun projects. The first was a quick color update to our front door "greeters". I'd been meaning to do this for a while; when we first bought our old gray house in Watertown last winter, I immediately wanted to paint the front doors yellow just like this. But there was no way I was going to convince Thane to let me paint over the one hundred and fifty year old original solid hardwood doors. And for good reason. But there's always room for compromise! That's where these weathered bronze lions come in. They were here when we bought the place, and they are no where near as ancient as the doors. In fact, they came from T.J. Max for $7.99 a pop {evidenced by the sticker that was still on the back of one when I gave it a closer look}. So there was no harm in taking a little spray paint to these guys!

I love the way they turned out! They were barely noticeable before, but now they pop right out. And I think my favorite thing about these guys is they remind me of Jesus, because He is literally called "the lion" of the tribe of Judah {Genesis 49:8-10, Revelation, 5:5}. Pretty neat, right?!