Tim Hawkins - The Government Can

I love this Video!!!  I went to one of my greatest friends blogs called "This Journey called Life" and she had one of my all time favorite videos ever.  As Corine said in her blog this is all for laughs no harm intended.  I just laughed!!!

Drop Cloth Curtains

I saw these on a blog this morning and I loved them. These are Drop Cloth Curtains. You just go to Lowe's or Home Depot and buy the canvas painters drop cloths. They are anywhere from 8 dollars to 10 dollars per drop cloth. The cloths are already hemmed for you. I want to try this somewhere in our little cottage of a house. We have a transformation going on in this home bringing adventure at every corner. We love the challenges of trying our hand at DIY projects and redoing furniture.
Also in this pic I have seen this done over and over again having the curtain high above the window and then extending way past the edges of the window and then hanging the curtains on the sides of the window. The visual effect makes the window look larger.
Enjoy the idea for an inexpensive way to add cottage cuteness to your home.

My book for the month!

Here it is!!!
My book for this month and maybe next month.
I have decided to have a classical approach to our homeschooling and so I thought that maybe I should start educating myself in the "classical arts". Actually it is the "Liberal Arts" but in no absolute way am I a liberal thinker politically. Just thought I would set that straight.

I looked over my plethra of Classics in our home and saw Wuthering Heights that I had purchased at a Thrift store (I think). Right now I have a Love , hate relationship with this book. This is really one of my first reads with this form of written conversation. It was taking me quite some time to get through the first page and I would have to go back and read it again but as I get further along the words seem to flow a lot smoother. So Part of me wanted to quit around the first few pages but now I can't wait for bedtime so I can cuddle up with my book.

inspirational cottage

I saw this picture of a cottage today on the blog "Unshelved Words" and I just fell in love with it. Don't you agree. Looking at it I think of Thomas KinKade paintings. I would love to live in a Thomas KinKade painting.  Check out her blog.
http://unshelvedwords08.blogspot.com/

George Washington Poster

About a year ago I saw these posters at Deseret Book Store and fell in love with them. They just gave me goosebumps. I saw them again when we were at our son's cub scout leaders house and found out that their son-n-law is the author. That was COOL!!! I knew when I looked at those that these were something that I would love to hang in my house and the kids bedrooms to inspire them.

SO..............

On Friday I went into Seagull book and bought my first small poster of GEORGE WASHINGTON crossing the Delaware on December 25. That is what I felt inspired to get. And that is what I got!

Go to the Website and check them out.

Clutter Be Gone Beginning

I can't stand it no more!!!

As I sit here and think about my topic of DE-CLUTTERING my mind takes me back to a beautiful home we owned in Northern Idaho 3 years ago. It was a morning like all other mornings for me, crazy and chaotic. Everything out of order, children fussing, nothing in it's place, schoolbooks out in the garage, clothes all over the bedrooms unfolded and laundry piled up to the sky. As mom's know...... that is only the tip of the ICEBERG.

On that particular day that I remember so well the best part of me had left the building.......... temporary insanity and a very cluttered house had taken over. It was the end of me for sure.

I thought to myself "I have to get out of this house and think!" (a quick note about our family, I am a homeschooler with lots of little footsteps to guide. Seven to be exact!) So I grabbed my keys and my coat and headed out the door. I remember distinctively thinking that I am frustrated with doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I felt that my homeschooling could be a lot better. That our home could have A LOT more order and that mom was less frazzled. Maybe the dishes could get done before 2 in the afternoon, that when laundry had to be done you didn't have to wear oxygen to get to the top of it to sort it all out and that maybe, just maybe daddy and I could have some down time before midnight. My house was in a turmoil clutter wise, which spread into other aspects of my life. Maybe a reflection of my inner congestion inside my soul. I just know that because my house was extremely cluttered that so was I. Years of accumulation surrounded me. I needed answers.

So there I was in my car, driving... not really sure where wondering where to start to get out of the "same thing different results" scenario. I said a silent prayer for myself. A silent prayer for help.

I drove down the rode and saw a Borders Book Store. I parked (Kinda wondering why I choose here to escape) and went inside.
I walked directly to the back of the store straight down the middle as if I knew where I was going.

I stopped at the

rack fogged out and exhausted.

I looked down and there it was.
"Clutter Be Gone" by Don Aslett"
God definitely knew what I needed at that moment.
It was only 3.99$ too.
I went home and started to read it from front to back.
I felt a new kind of feeling. Something almost Super-Natural you would say.
I become less sensitive to the feeling of
"Oh I have to keep this I might need it someday"
or "My great aunt marge gave this to me."
I respected other family members items. I just lived by example. Then later on (Much later on) some of the family started catching on.
It has been 4 years since that day. We have acquired awesome habits of looking at something that comes into our life and either keeping it, putting it in its place or giving it away. That goes for items that are physical or non physical.
De-cluttering isn't just about giving away the Physical it is about everything in your life that causes disharmony and clutter.
So there you have it.
The beginning of my rollar coaster ride of De-Cluttering.

(The computer and Vase were not actually items owned, but you get the picture)
"Wink"

Real Homeschooling!

I was talking to a friend of mine

one day about
homeschooling blogs,
not that they aren't wonderful
and have so many GREAT ideas. I just
wanted to see some REAL homeschooling pics
and articles.
Messy house, little toddlers getting into
EVERYTHING,
phone ringing off the wall (going of course unanswered[wink];-),
dishes piled in the sink,
dog food on the kitchen floor,
unorganized curriculum,
a spontaneous family vacation,
book shelves cluttered with papers, a toothbrush,
a sock, and whatever was on the floor
next to the shelf, errands that have
to be done, mom's
quit time
and
all the other needs
that need to be met.
How about the article on the history
project
that seems to be
put on the back burner
even though you bought
the
curriculum
in
MARCH
and it is
OCTOBER!
Anyways I decided to write about
REAL HOMESCHOOLING
at my house
and all the fun
and Chaos
that I wouldn't trade for the WORLD.
I saw a quote somewhere that said

"We may not have it all together but together we have it all"

I love this quote. It definitely describes our family.

Look for pics of our
REAL HOMESCHOOLING
throughout my blog
in the future
and happy
reading.

"Warning"
pics may cause feelings of comfort and assurance that you are not the "only" one

My Duvet Cover

I wanted to show off a duvet cover I made last week. I really didn't follow any directions. I just saw a couple of instructions off and on through the years and improvised.

Here is the cover that I used







I sewed on ribbon that I just picked out of
my sewing box.  It doesn't really matter if it
matches.  It will be on the inside to tie
it together.




Here is one of the corners
of the blanket.







These are the sheets.
With my inexperience
of sewing I bought
two full size sheets
at Walmart for
$12.00 total.
I recommend buying
twin sheets next time.

I bought these buttons
in a three pack for
around $4.00
at Walmart.



Made my button outline which took me all day to
learn how to sew a button hole in something.






Finally figured it out. After
many seam rippings.









After I sewed the buttons on
I sewed ribbons on the 4 corners
of the sheet that was sewn together
on 3 sides.







Then I tied the ribbons all together









And here is the finished
product.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings "Consider the Lilies"

A Quest for Talent...

Are you one of those women where you look at a blog or a crafty women that just put things together and think "Where was I when creative talent was handed out ?" Well I used to think that and now I am in the process of "we'll say reprogramming" my brain cells. So what, So I have to look at something to get an idea. So I am not "MOLLY MORMON". That's OK. I have told myself all these years that I didn't have any talent and I actually believed it. Now I have to change my belief and have faith that Heavenly Father granted me Talents for just me and I have to believe that they are inside of me waiting to appear. Some of them have already manifested themselves and I just haven't noticed them I'm sure.

I am on a quest now......

A Talent Quest

Here is one that I am working on.


A DUVET cover...

MY FAMILY

Hi everyone,
This is my family! DH of mine, the love of my life. 7 fascinating children. 1 NEW son-in-law and a new grand-baby on the way. I am a very excited mommy and grandmother. I love it.Followus
on our BLOG
get to know us, and read the
ABOUT ME
part on the blog and get to know us a little more.
We are in the process of redoing furniture and redecorating our home.
This BLOG will be
about
SOOOOOOO

MANY

exciting adventures with homeschooling, crafts, redo's, revamps, rewinds, and any other

creations that we can think of!!!
Enjoy and happy following!!!

I would like to introduce you to my best friend. My Darling husband. The Father of the 7. I just love it when he smiles. My DH has a sensitive side to him that I adore. He also has the "Yea I'll hold your purse but I am still a GUY" side. I heard a song by Brad Paisley the other day called "I'm still a guy" that reminded me of my DH. I laughed and laughed when I heard that. My DH is putting together a Map and Compass series of classes to teach young homeschoolers the importance of not losing your way in the woods, in a big city and most importantly spiritually. It is called Terrian Logic. I am so excited for him. He loves the outdoors. He would live out there if he could. That is why we choose places to live that have lots of trees and not alot of people. Northern Idaho is the best. Not alot of people, beautiful scenery, lots of trees and wildlife. We would go the the lake everyday of the summer and enjoy the outdoors. I loved it. He loves it. That is something that I would like to touch on concerning our husbands. Doing something that they love to provide for their family. I have watched my DH join in the medocrity of life for these last 15 years. Get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner go to bed. Wake up the next day and do it all over again. Then God introduced him to something wonderful, finding your love, serving the Lord and prospering because of it. My DH of course is in the baby stages. I encourge him to follow what he loves to provide for our family. I love the scripture "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." 2 Nephi 2:25. God wants him to have joy here on earth. I love this man, my best friend.

I miss this age!!!
I found this picture tonight and thought I would share my thoughts. This is darling #7. She is 4 now and quite ambitious in voicing her independence. Got to love it!
I look back on pictures and have so many memories that flash through my mind. I'm sure you will agree that it goes by so painfully fast. I am learning that it is better to live here in the NOW and not wish for the future. I miss this part of my life and at the same time am ever so grateful for NOW. All of my children, even my teenagers all tucked in and safe tonight at 11:36pm. Under my wing you could call it. I like that thought.