Bewitching

Our Bewitching Hour came on Saturday night, and along with it came some HORRIBLE rain!! I have always professed my love for Mother Nature but on Saturday I decided that she really isn't my friend and is a "Mean Girl".....

Normally our party is outside under the moonlight but this year the rain drove us inside!! None the less we had a really great time. This year we went with a Diva Divine Witch theme...more Sparkle than Scare!

My girlfriends always look fabulous and my mom pulled out all the creative stops with the hat designs this year. She sold them at our shop and they literally flew out the door as fast as she brought them in.

Over the past four years I have made a collection of silverware, plates to go with our theme. This coming year I think I am going to make goblets for the evening. This year I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning working on my dress....I had a last minute inspiration and worked furiously to get it done. Old bridesmaid dresses come in handy after all! I discovered some really great tips along the way for working with lace and 13 yr old models....they don't go together well! I need to invest in a "real" dress form!

Fried Chicken and Chocolate Cake

I started my day out making Fried Chicken and Chocolate cake for my grandfather at 6:30 AM today. I have to say that was a first....never had my house filled with those two smells so early in the morning. It was all for a great man and I was happy to do it, I hope that he enjoyed it.

It was one of those meals that is made with heart and soul, and makes you feel good cooking for someone else. I am sitting here reading the blogs of some of my favorite ladies and thinking how much I would like to have dinner with them and eat food prepared from our heart and souls. Reading blogs can give you a peak into the lives of so many - and the ones that I favor really do share their souls with you, sometimes without realizing it....I feel so connected to them without even knowing them. I end my day with these women almost 7 days a week!

I decided that I want to sit around my table filled with candles and the beautiful faces of my blog favorites and share Fried Chicken and Chocolate Cake with them. I assume that these women are all beautiful because they have such amazing, beautiful spirits. I want to hear laughter and wisdom filling the air around us and soak up every minute of it!

Anyone who knows me also knows that half the fun of this would be planning the entire evening. The menu, the table scape, the invitation, everything! Obviously it is time for me to get some sleep because I am dreaming with my eyes wide open here, this dinner party can only happen in my dreams.

Good night all I have got a party to plan!

Dig Deep

Can we dig deep for a minute?? ....... I have been totally entranced with this story - every bit of the story!! I am in LOVE with her - in fact I want to whisper Happy Bird-day in her ear - every day for the rest of her life. I have been praying for her family, her, her kids, her husband....every day...do you think that God has passed along my whispers to them?

This story has made me think, it has made me cry and it has made me look at moments in my life and wonder....what if? It has also made me want to "BE" better in my every day life!

If something happened to me or my husband, who would take care of my children. Not just put a roof over their head or food in their bellies, but who would fill their souls with the love and nurturing that they need?

I have no sisters, only a brother - and we don't seem to be able to spend too much time together without there being a difference of opinions, plus he is 13 years younger than me and doesn't have his life together enough to take on 4 little peoples lives! I want a sister like her....I have actually always wanted a sister like her! I would even take a neighbor like her! I want friends like these. When this sleeping beauty wakes up she is going to be blown away by the amount of people who seriously LOVE for her and her family! I wonder if she will be able to take it all in?

If something happened to me, who would be there to take care of my husband and kids. Not just physically, but emotionally? Would anyone rally for them and help with the school, life and medical bills?? I really don't have that many "girlfriends", would anyone step in and coordinate this. Last year our son went through a pretty serious medical ordeal and we were out of state for 11 days and no one even made a single dinner for my husband! Our church is pretty small and quite frankly - there are not that many young families there!

How exceptional it is to read of her love for her husband, her strength and pride. I love that she is so open about her love of her husband. I wish I could be more like that. I wish that tomorrow we could start our marriage over again and not let every day "life" jade us of our love for one another. Because lets face it, most of us let the bills, the laundry and the sleep deprivation take over and tarnish the sparkle that used to be in our eye when we looked at our loved one - dare I say our Lover!

There are so many ways that this story has effected me, it has made me remember how precious every day is. Even on days where being a Mom really STINKS! We all have them - even when we pretend that life is perfect - those moments where the baby won't get in the car seat, the dog is in heat, the older kids miss the bus and give YOU an attitude about it, the husband wants dinner and you forgot to take plan something!! You know, one of those days.....just remember how lucky we are to have beautiful, strong willed children and a husband who cares enough to come home to us!

To remember to love deeply, and love honestly. Even ourselves....I love that she was so candid about taking pictures of herself (no pun intended). I love that her children can still see her beautiful face looking back at them even though she isn't there with them. This story has made me put myself back into "the" story of my kids life - how many pictures do you have of yourself or of you and your kids together - right now??

Most importantly, I think about how important it is to be honest to ourselves. If we want to be a something that is different that what other people "think" we should be - remember to be honest to ourselves. Be the parent we want to be, the wife we want to be, and the person that we want to be. Be open about our religion, our beliefs - whatever it is - just be honest to ourselves!

I have never met this beautiful creature, but I will hold a piece of her in my heart everyday, even when the hype is over and everyone is going back to their every day lives. I will remember her.

For the love of a Stranger...

Yesterday I was trying to rest my foot (broken foot - week 2 with a cast....I tell you about the rest of my cast wearing family members tomorrow) after my fun filled day at the coffee shop and I started surfing through some of my favorite blog ladies when I stumbled upon this story....you can read back through her sisters blog to get more information. I was unbelievably touched by this story - I read and read all about them. I can't get over how tragic and beautiful this is all at the same time. I am adding the donation button to my blog.
Go through and read about them, I know times are tight but if you can even donate a single dollar, please do it. We have medical bills because of my Superman, but they are nothing compared to the medical bills that this family is going to have! I pray that whatever the outcome is for this family that they have peace. I do believe that this families amazing Faith in God will carry them through. I can't even imagine the recovery process that they are going to have to go through. I burnt myself a few weeks ago on the espresso machine - scalding hot water and skin, bad combo - and the pain was horrible, and that was only my arm! I can not even imagine over 80% of my body! Modern medicine and her spiritual strength will need to come together here. Well, I am going to go cuddle with my children for a few minutes.....In other news....I actually went "into" my craft room today, shuffled a few things around and was very excited at the "thought" of being able to do a project. Completing a project might be a different story.....lol. I think I will start with something simple...like a bow or a bracelet!

I have been tagged....

I literally jumped out of my seat when I clicked the Heather link on Jen's blog....boy do I love her!! I enjoy stalking/reading her blog on a regular basis!! I have never been tagged before - so this is my first time...I hope that I get it right! Oh, yeah...and I hope that somebody actually reads it, lol!!! 6 quirky/non important things...pretty much my whole life falls into this category, but I will try to shave it down some!

1. My mom and I just bought a coffee/antique shop....neither one of us know the first thing about using the BIG espresso machine!! And, really I would not be one of those moms who has lots of free time on their hands..lol..4 kids, 11, 10, 7, & 2!

2. I fell out of the car when I was about six, my mom kept driving...for about a block....felt like a mile! I tease her to this day about it!!

3.I am never caught up on laundry!

4. I secretly long to be "June Cleaver" from Leave it to Beaver and make lunches, bake cookies and have dinner for my hubby and children - WITHOUT - all the modern day stresses!! Let's not forget vacuum in heels!!

5. I loved waiting tables! It was fun, even when you have jerky customers!

6. I am pretty sure that I have adult ADD....I can produce the unfinished projects to prove it!

ONE MORE FOR GOOD MEASURE....
I sweep obsessively when I get nervous or stressed or their is dirt on the floor....no wonder I never complete any projects!


So....the rules:
1: link to the person that tagged you. 2. Post the rules on your blog. 3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. 4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. 5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

Here are the victims of my tag....they don't all know it yet, but we are friends....lol!! OK...I can only do four...I don't have that many cyber-friends!
Betz, Jennifer, Jaime, Crop Girl

Let me go warn them....lol! Thanks Jen, I really enjoyed being tagged!!!

Extra day???

A WHOLE extra day...really??? What will I ever do with so much "extra" time on my hands?? I am sure that I will get soooo much done today with a WHOLE extra day....sense my sarcasm, won't you?!?!?! Did you do anything fun today??? I spent my "whole extra day" doing our taxes..NOTE TO SELF: put all the receipts away each and every month this year!!

Now during all of this fun tax prep time, I did "rediscover" a little tidbit of information that as a mom of four I can't believe had slipped out of the memory bank....When a small child is QUIET - it only means BAD THINGS!! So another NOTE TO SELF: Put the syrup on a higher shelf!! Yep, that is right...quiet two year old = syrup river in the hallway!! Thank You!!!

After being a little "taxed" today, I decided to take a break and stalk, ooops I meant READ some of my favorite blogs..I do love to visit my blog friends...they don't know it yet, but we are friends. LOL!!! So in an attempt to get a little computer time and keep an eye on the two year old, I am sitting here having lotion - that for some reason smells like beer and bbq sauce - slathered all over my legs!!! She has a new obsession with lotion! Where is the baby lotion when you need it..she found the lotion leftover from the recent hospital stay, yuck! The things we will do for a little time on the computer!! Geesh!!

Well, little L has run out of lotion which means I have run out of time! I hope that you find some FUN in your extra day...and thanks for checking in. I promise to have some cute little crafty creation to share with you soon. That darn hospital sucked the crafty right out of me, but I am getting back in the groove!!! I have found some BEA-U-TIFUL fabrics that I am drooling over! I can't wait to get my little hands on them!! OOHHH OOOHHH I also have some nifty new little finds to show you....went in search of some vintage fabrics....can't wait to turn them into something - and bonus, they were FREE!! And I have been storing away some new scrapbooking ideas to play with...had time to "dream" up some new album ideas while we were away.

OK...now I really have to go! She is starting to throw things at me :) Enjoy what is left of your extra day - Get an extra cuddle in with your loved ones- watch a movie - play a game - Be Creative and enjoy each other!!