tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82658382797216936582024-03-13T12:10:41.391-04:00A Little Bit of a LotLee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-82479036635545779722016-10-21T15:09:00.000-04:002016-10-21T15:09:02.863-04:00Instant Pot, but for real!!So a while back I mentioned the Instant Pot briefly because it was on sale. I want to revisit this jewel of a find. Well, I guess it wasn't really a find since a few friends had one and told me how much they love theirs. It doesn't matter, this thing is A-MA-ZING!!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 6 quart Instant Pot with my 7 quart crockpot</td></tr>
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Anyone who values their time ( ahem, everyone!) and cooks could use this appliance. It will save you a ton of time two different ways. The first way is obvious, it is a pressure cooker so yes, it cooks faster. Dried beans in one hour!! From bag to bowl in ONE hour. The second way is that while it cooks, you are free to do other things. It isn't something you have to watch once you start it. You press the button and walk off. You can also, program to come on at a certain time, though I haven't used this function yet.<br />
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A few of the meals I have prepared and loved are one-pot spaghetti, steak and gravy, beans and rice with sausage, and stuffed peppers. Oh and don't let me forget, lemon blueberry cheesecake. YES, cheesecake!<br />
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My husband has loved everything that has come out of the pot, but my son has a preference for spaghetti so we make it at least once a week. With the instant pot, I use one pot and after sauteing the meat, I put it in and walk away until I hear the beep.<br />
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I would love to say that I used the instructions that cam with it and nothing else, but that wouldn't be true. Although the instructions are good and it did come with a recipe book, my favorite place to find out how to prepare something is a Facebook group called Instant Pot Community. It is a a public group so anyone can join. The reason I like the group over the actual page is the search feature. I can search for what I want to cook and get a list of posts. Click <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/InstantPotCommunity/" target="_blank">HERE</a> to take you to that page.<br />
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I will also include a link to the Instant Pot on Amazon for you to check it out. Yes, it is an affiliate link but I choose what I put here and it won't be something I don't love!<br />
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This is the one I have:<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=markhammade-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00FLYWNYQ&asins=B00FLYWNYQ&linkId=27f1035702e7c116a0e3ed723490e755&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
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But I will add, they now have an 8 quart that I would like to add to the family! At the very least, I want to get another inner pot for it so I can just take it out and start the next thing. Especially cooking something like beans and rice or rice and anything!<br />
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Well, I hope you can appreciate my love for my Instant Pot! This pressure cooker has changed our mealtime so much! If you have one or get one, let me know what you think about it!<br />
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God bless and have a good day!<br />
Lee Ann<br />
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<br />Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-5307233617690083472016-10-18T17:50:00.001-04:002016-10-18T17:50:23.070-04:00Planners everywhere! Which one and what to do with it?<div dir="ltr">
About this time last year, I fell into the hole of planners very similar to Alice in Wonderland. I have yet to emerge from that hole and not sure that I ever will. It is like those people that give you the samples or taste of something, once you get that little bite, you are done for! Just put it in the cart and move to the next one! LOL<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few of the planners mentioned! </td></tr>
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But seriously, planning is about finding the system that works well for you. I am looking really hard for the best one for me. I started by making my own planner last July out of a leather binder. I just went on Google and found a lot of free printables. I found calendars, cleaning pages, financial pages and a lot more. </div>
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There are so many options for planning and it can easily overwhelm you, but if you take time and look around, you will find what works for you. I have gone through several planners buying and then selling them or giving them away to be able to buy the next one.<br />
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I started with the binder I mentioned above and then moved on to the Happy Planner by Me & My Big Ideas. I really liked this planner but I couldn't customize how I needed to so that it would fit our family. I did get the fitness and recipe planners they have also. Next I moved to the ringed binders, both an A5 size and a personal size. You can find tons of free printables and then just print them to the size you need and hole punch them to fit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my faux-leather binder</td></tr>
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Coil planners are probably the most common ones you will see around. I have a Day Designer I got at Target that is a daily planner and an Erin Condren hourly weekly planner. They are both great planners with different purposes.<br />
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Travelers' Notebooks are the new black. You can find them everywhere in the planner community and for a good reason. You can put a lot or a little and whatever your heart desires in it. There are several sizes so you can have a larger one to write in or a small one for a wallet.<br />
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This year, Me & My Big Ideas, introduced a Big Happy Planner and I didn't see a need until recently. It has a specific purpose in my arsenal and I look forward to starting it next month.<br />
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Are you getting the picture here? There are all sizes and shapes of planners, just waiting for you to find the one (or three) that work for you! Some things I like separate but for the most part I like it all together. Currently, I use my Erin Condren as my home planner and leave it sitting out most days. I have a travelers' notebook that is my EDC (every day carry). We also have a budget binder and I have a notebook for goals. I also have notebooks that have other purposes. It is a system and the best thing is to find what works for you and your family. I have even sat down and planned out how I need to plan. We are in a period of re-evaluating and streamlining things in our family so this is a big part of it for me.<br />
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Hopefully soon I will make a video on the planners I have used and why I am using what I am using now. When I do, I will edit to include the link here.<br />
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God Bless and have a great day!<br />
Lee Ann<br />
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Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-64680315789841562912016-08-31T20:30:00.000-04:002016-08-31T20:30:02.603-04:00My favorite new appliance, the Instant Pot!!We recently got an Instant Pot pressure cooker on Amazon Prime Day, and I love, love, love this thing!!! Seriously, it is amazing! I recently made stuffed bell peppers and it took a fraction of the time, Actually, I cooked them a little too long and the peppers just fell apart. I have cooked one pot spaghetti, pork chops, honey chicken, taco spiced chicken, apple pie oatmeal and of course, my favorite, lemon blueberry cheesecake!!<br />
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The Instant Pot has saved a lot of time for me and I have only had it a few weeks. I have learned a lot in a Facebook group for it and there are several you can find, just search Instant Pot. I like a group over community because you have the search function. It is so much fun, daily I find my self saving links or posts for recipes or ideas that I want to try. <br />
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I am sure there are a lot of YouTube videos but I haven't really searched. There is one gentleman I like watching and I found him through the group I am in. Here is a link to one of his videos, it is actually his get to know the instant pot video. :)<br />
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One thing that is on my list to cook is ribs! My dad has always slow-cooked and smoked ribs that are delicious so I have never tried cooking them myself. With two toddlers, I don't have time to babysit a cooker. Also, I want to try a roast. It is actually high on my list.<br />
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Trust me, this thing is worth it!! I try to find things I can use it for because I know it will save time! I really want to get the 8 quart one now. <br />
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The link above is an associate link, but honestly, the Instant Pot is the best thing since sliced bread!<br />
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Have a great evening and hope you enjoy it if you get it! I know I have! God bless!<br />
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Lee Ann<br />
<br />Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-31666934803827422302016-08-24T17:34:00.000-04:002016-08-24T17:34:03.348-04:00We just started . . . homeschooling!!My daughter will be four in October, so we started a K4 curriculum with her this month. Of course, this means little brother will be participating with his own worksheets and crayons and whatever else.<br />
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I am using the curriculum from Confession's of a Homeschooler. (Her blog is <a href="http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a> and the curriculum is <a href="http://store.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=70_71" target="_blank">HERE</a>) I will say that I have used a couple of components from 1+1+1=1, (and her site is <a href="http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/" target="_blank">HERE</a>) Specifically, I used the printables she has to go along with Songs for Saplings, ABC Bible verses. There are full page printable for each verse, as well as flash cards and a puzzle page for your child to put together. The link for those is <a href="http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/2012/09/songs-for-saplings-abc-bible-verse-printable-pack/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. <br />
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We are taking a very laid back approach to homeschooling this year. It will be structured some days and others we will vary what we do. I see no reason to take away play time at this young age because I feel it is just as important. Well, actually more important.<br />
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I want "school" to be fun for my children and not something they dread each day. I know there will be times they don't want to "do school," as my daughter says; but overall, I hope they enjoy learning.<br />
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We will have music class once a week this fall and a few other things to rotate in and out. I am still deciding on what we will do. A friend has "Poetry and Tea Tuesday," and I love that idea! She has a great blog over at <a href="http://bookreviewmama.com/" target="_blank">Book Review Mama</a>, you should hop over and check it out! She is a book lover like no other! :)<br />
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So, we are "doing school," in our dining room. This means we have to be able to put it up and eat dinner at the end of the day. Not too long ago, we put in cabinets with countertops in my work area so I happened to have a sewing cabinet I wasn't using. We moved it upstairs and put it in the corner. It is perfect because I can put a cabinet lock and keep the little man out of it! You can see in the picture below, we have a board with all of our main areas on it. I love this thing!! Thanks to my mother-in-love, we had a big piece of chloraplast (plastic cardboard used in sign making) and I put it on the wall with command strips so I can take it down whenever I need. I used velcro to attach each item on the board. My daughter actually loves to take down and put up each thing as we talk about it. <br />
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So I will periodically update our homeschool journey on here as we go, so keep an eye out for that. Thanks for reading and come back soon! <br />
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God bless!<br />
Lee Ann<br />
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<br />Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-75872049659754310452016-08-20T15:06:00.001-04:002016-08-20T15:06:19.380-04:00Plan with Me Filming<div>
So, I decided I wanted to try filming a plan with me video for youtube. I thought it would be fun since it would be my first week in my Erin Condren hourly planner. I learned a lot with my unboxing video. First, I needed light and quiet. The lighting I could do, but the quiet part was harder. It is hard to find quiet time in my house and even if it is sleeping time, my little may wake up at any minute.<br />
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I also learned that I talk slow when I am nervous and trying to do something right. I had to speed up a lot of my clips to make it a tolerable amount of time. I know people don't want to listed to me for 30 minutes!! I added some music to it also.<br />
I had a lot of fun doing this and may do it in the future again, but I will not be doing weekly plan with me videos for sure. I do want to do different videos though and so far have thought of a few topics. Here is my list: planning, homeschooling, meal planning, cleaning schedules and routines, goal planning, decluttering the house step by step, life with toddlers, Sephora play boxes, and working with my Silhouette Cameo. Let me know if there is anything else you might want to see or read about.<br />
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So here is the link for my video, it is for the first week I did in my Erin Condren hourly, so it was a few weeks ago. :)<br />
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Thank you for visiting and God bless!!<br />
Lee Ann<br />
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Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-25883637111807417382016-07-18T16:33:00.000-04:002016-07-18T22:25:21.619-04:00Fears and anxieties<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Fears and anxiety can creep up on you at any point in your life. If you knew me before, say 22, you would know, I love people and being around them. Today, you might question if I could even carry on an adult conversation some days. There are a lot of reasons this might be so, such as I spend all day with two littles under the age of 4. This has had a little effect on me but the main thing that has affected me has been my recent miscarriage. I don't understand why it has manifested this way but it has made it hard lately to even be around people much less carry on a conversation.<br />
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My friends have been great and reached out to me for comfort, just to talk or invite me to something. One friend last week texted me probably 4 times and I never responded. I love her and have no reason to be upset but for some reason every time I picked up my phone to respond, I froze. It is a weird anxiety to say the least. Another sweet mommy friend has messaged me to comfort me because she has been through this also, but I haven't responded yet. I can't put the words down. Like I said, I don't understand it.<br />
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So I am trying to work through it and recover a little bit of my confidence currently. I have started back reading a devotion that speaks to me and trying to find a Bible verse each day to respond to that anxiety and hold onto it. I am trying to talk with my husband more about how I feel instead of pretending I am okay until I explode in tears and have to miss a friend's little boy's birthday party because I just can't handle it.<br />
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This weekend I did something a little out of the norm for me and way against how I have been feeling. I attended a planner meetup with about 80 other women. When I bought my ticket it was supposed to be around 30 people and they changed the venue to hold more a few weeks later. I almost didn't go. I had myself talked out of it. I needed to be home with my family, my husband had worked long hours and needed the reset. He encouraged me to go and so did one other person. I won't name her because she may not want me to, but she gave me just enough reason to get me out of the door. <br />
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The thing is, I had never met her before Saturday at the meetup. We had just chatted online. She is a strong lady who is very sweet. We joked about giving each other a big hug when we met, and we did just that. She was my anchor that day and she reminded me that the Lord will always be my anchor. So that day, I met a lot of great ladies and had a lot of fun. Hopefully, started new friendships with some. I walked up and talked to several people, including some that I have admired online. I even told them that and sounded quite dorky, but I did it. I took loads of pictures even though I don't like how I look right now. I put myself out there.<br />
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One thing I do know happened, is that I grew a little that day. Another thing I know is there is one lady who has a tried and true friend when she needs me. She helped me step out, and for that I am grateful.<br />
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So if anyone else is reading this, and feels this way, know that it can get better. Also know that you can help someone else without even knowing it.<br />
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God bless!<br />
Lee Ann<br />
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<br />Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-70190638692602974952016-07-06T15:06:00.000-04:002016-07-06T15:17:11.937-04:00Happy Mail!! My very first EC!!Well, after seeing Erin Condren (and by seeing, I mean on social media) and her interaction at an international planning conference, I decided I needed to order an Erin Condren for myself. (If you are wondering about the conference, it was Geaux Wild, hosted by Planners Gone Wild and looked the best time ever!)<br />
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So, on launch day, June 1, I began trying my luck as soon as the site showed the life planners available. My luck didn't work so well that morning but early afternoon, it pushed through. I ordered it and a few accessories as fast as I could! So fast, I didn't pay attention to my name personalization and really wanted it a tad different. As my daughter would say, oh poodle!<br />
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Today, I got my pretty purple box!! Which is amazing, considering the amount of orders they must have had on launch day and since!</div>
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I am in LOVE with my new Erin Condren goodies!! As I mentioned, I ordered some of the new accessories. In my order were some of the mini bookmarks, the new wet erase markers, the new sticker book, the sticky notes and some of the snap in dashboards.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">snap-in sticky notes</td></tr>
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And of course, I got my planner! I ordered the colorful hourly 18 month planner with the mid-century circles cover. Although it is taking some time to adjust to the hourly planning, I am in love with it!<br />
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I recorded an unboxing video and I will say it took about 3 tries before I got a decent video so things were already open! In my video I show you the accessories and planner in detail.</div>
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Here is the link to my YouTube video:</div>
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Hope you enjoyed it! God bless and have a good day!<br />
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Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-1619730167031515782016-06-23T22:37:00.000-04:002016-06-23T22:37:19.351-04:00Hard daysTiming is something that can be good, bad or just unusual. Last week, I posted for the first in a long time. I posted about our family and where we are right now. I mentioned that we were expecting our third child. My daughter has been wanting a little sister and I told her to pray to God about that. Well, a couple weeks ago, we found out I lost the baby. I was very early but it was still such a shock not having any problems with my first two pregnancies. It has definitely been a time for hard days.<br />
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I have found though, that I turned to the Lord for strength and He has helped me tremendously. It is not to say I haven't gone through several emotions, because I have definitely done that. The weirdest things trigger a cry fest. Our parents came and helped me with the children to give me time to process. I am blessed for sure.<br />
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Something I learned from a friend is that 1 in 4 women suffer a miscarriage. Another friend said she was proud that I posted what happened because so many women have suffered in silence. So these two reasons are what is pushing me to do this post. Reach out to a friend if you are in this place, find someone to talk to about it. You will be surprised who might have already been through it. Hopefully, it doesn't happen to you or me, but statistically, it is going to happen to someone close to us if not us. <br />
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Take a few minutes to yourself, longer if you can and allow yourself to process. It is what really helped me. I cried and prayed to the Lord. At times it was good but at other times it wasn't so pretty. We are all different and process differently, but we all need to do it. One friend shared with me that she and her husband pushed their emotions down when they had a miscarriage. Later, when their daughter was sick, it all came back up and they had so many more emotions.<br />
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I am sure there will be more hard days to come, but I also know I will be able to handle it with the Lord and my family's support.<br />
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Good day and God bless!<br />
Lee AnnLee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-75626373263576282402016-06-08T15:47:00.001-04:002016-06-08T15:47:21.163-04:00Well, here I go again, blogging attempt #3894938420I guess one thing I can say is I don't give up! LOL So here I am again, giving it another go! Not much has changed in our lives but at the same time so much has changed. We are still living in the same place, and working on the same house. I have been told that will never end as a homeowner and now I believe it.<br />
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Here are a few pictures of our sweeties!!</div>
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What has changed is that our family has grown by one adorable little boy and the cute little one year old will be 4 in the Fall. Time flies when you are having fun, right? I have been so blessed to be their mother. My husband is a wonderful father to them. He spent the day outside playing with them today so I could rest. I can't seem to catch up on rest lately. Oh and that is another change, we are expecting another little one. We are thrilled and my daughter can't wait. She wants to see the baby now and we haven't even been to our first sonogram yet. </div>
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Because of our growing family and upcoming changes, I have decided to close my etsy shop for now. Hopefully, I will open it again soon but I really don't know. We will be homeschooling so my time is going to get squeezed even more. So many good things on the horizon for our family. God has been so good to us and He continues to bless us. I am so grateful! </div>
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I am trying to get organized better in the home and with our time. The main reason is to be more intentional with my little cutie pies. I want to truly be there with them and not distracted by things (ahem, especially my phone!). Working on decluttering the house is a big part of this. A very BIG part of it! I have been using a paper planner (or two) to try and help me. I need direction or I will get distracted, you know like, oh squirrel! Also, laundry has become my nemesis; well, that and dishes. Hmm and maybe the floors. Okay, well so maybe I need a list to go by for housework overall or I forget what I have done and what needs to be done. I will share later what I have found to help me. </div>
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Well, just a quick note to say hello again, and I am back. Good night and God bless!</div>
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Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-77774353937840825132015-04-15T22:41:00.000-04:002015-04-15T22:41:51.000-04:00Blog title - A little bit of a lotMaybe blogging isn't something I am meant to do, but I want to do it. So I keep trying. :) <br /><br />With that said, there seems to be a little bit of a lot going on all the time. Now that I have two kids to keep up with during the day, it seems like time just disappears. Except when one of them is teething.<br />
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In the past few months, I haven't had a lot of down time but recently I had the opportunity to go on a date with my husband and friends of ours. We had so much fun!! I finally remembered how to have an adult conversation sometime during the evening. :) We did have to change restaurants because the storm zapped the electricity and their registers. We ended up at one of my favorites, Olive Garden. I love love love some Italian food!!<br />
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The mommy alone fun-time continued for me the next day at a freezer meal party. Now this may not seem like a big time to you, but think about 12 women in a room trying to measure and prepare 6 meals, at the same time! It was a lot of fun! It was also a great learning experience as I hope to do something like this in the future.<br />
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I have had some sewing time lately and been able to work on some new dresses for my sweetie and for my shop. I am excited to list them once I get the pictures back from Kayla (K. Kelley Photography). I have 5 more to test out hopefully in the next few weeks. I am loving loving loving my serger right now. Ask me tomorrow and I may be mad at it. Haha :)<br />
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I have a new Proverbs 31 Bible study I hope to start soon. I will tell you more a little later on. I love a good Proverbs 31 study to get me a little more focused. <br />
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Well, good night and God bless!<br />
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Lee Ann<br />
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Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-26642657516926357042014-11-05T09:59:00.002-05:002014-11-05T09:59:52.104-05:00One Thousand GiftsI have a group of friends that are reading the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp and I have had some emotional moments reading it so far. Oh and I am only on the second chapter, a word to live. . and die by. :) <br />
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In the beginning Ann has nightmares and she talks about how she feels when she wakes up. One of the things that speak to me, is the way she says she feels other days. She feels like a loser, mess and a failure and says this is self-hatred. These are things I struggle with a lot. There are days I feel like such a failure as a person, mother and wife. A lot of it has to do with normal activities and not accomplishing them. Anxious and afraid of failing again, she is weary to wake up and start another day. I can identify with this!<br />
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How do we not feel "not good enough?" How do we get past the feelings of inadequacy? Where do they come from? I think they come form Satan and he makes us focus on ourselves and the world's definition of a successful wife and mother. But God has more planned for us. <br />
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In this chapter, Ann Voskamp takes the word eucharisteo and breaks it down to simple words that mean a lot. This is where I have that ah-ha moment but at the same time, wonder is it really that simple?<br />
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eucharisteo - Thanksgiving<br />
charis - grace<br />
chara - joy<br />
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To live a life of joy and grace, we must give thanks for what is in our lives. The good and the bad has to have thanks given for it. How do you give thanks for the bad? In those actual bad times, how do you not stay there?<br />
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Ann Voskamp talks through her discovery process and towards the end of the chapter she talks about the 10 lepers. Only one returned to thank Jesus for cleansing him and saving him. Jesus then tells him his faith has made him well. This is after he has been healed from leprosy. The word sozo comes to light as being true wellness, salvation. His thanks gave him the door to see complete salvation.<br />
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Towards the end of the chapter Ann Voskamp talks about saying yes to God, but living the no. How often do we do this? I know I don't do it often enough. The living the yes part. Too often in the heat of the moment, I don't live the yes. I respond the wrong way. I live the no.<br /><br />How do I live the yes? The best I can tell is to live with thanksgiving, to show grace to others. Then I will appreciate the grace and have joy. To live the yes every day, whether it's a day after a good nights sleep or one where you wake up at six two days in a row short on sleep. To see what God has given me or taken away and be thankful. Can I do this? I don't know, but I can try. God's grace is new everyday and I am glad because I need it!<br />
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Sorry for the random thoughts and poor writing, this post is more of a journal entry working through ideas than it is a complete thought.<br />
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Have a blessed and thankful day!<br />
<br />Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-13633962340989982872013-10-24T11:18:00.001-04:002013-10-24T11:26:47.998-04:00One Year of a Sweet Little Girl<div><p>Wow! People always say time flies, but you really don't know until you have a child.  Yes, it flies, but nothing like when you are watching your child grow from a small, helpless newborn to an active 12 month old on the verge of walking.  I catch myself just sitting and wondering where did time go?  I know it just gets faster so I want to make sure I soak in every moment of our precious little girl.  <br>
Esther has such a personality and it is definitely a people-person one right now.  Everyone talks about her being such a happy baby and she is the majority of the time.  We all  have our moments.  ;)  She loves seeing people in the stores; she just smiles and talks to them.  She likes to wave bye bye or hey to people also, but it is usually after they have turned around.  When we go get the mail in the afternoons, she waves at the cars as they pass.  <br>
Esther loves to be active and on the move.  We have so much fun watching her explore but it does come with moments of "uh-oh."  Child-proofing cabinets and moving breakables out of reach came quickly in this house.  <br>
Food is a love hate relationship, as it is with most babies I think.  One day she will eat everything and want more, the next day, she isn't interested in anything at all.  :)  We are trying to branch out and eat more things, but sometimes it is a little hard to find dairy-free options.  Bananas are out best friend right now.  :)  Apples usually work too.<br>
Esther loves being outside!  She will pull her carrier down and bring it to me to go outside walking and now we have a wagon she got for her birthday and she loves riding in it.  We took it to the pumpkin patch and she just sat there and looked around and had a ball.  Just don't stop before she is ready to stop, which doesn't happen!  :)<br>
It still doesn't seem right that Esther is one year old today, but we will celebrate and have fun going to visit daddy.  Later we will have some more cake we saved from Saturday, but for now it is nap time.  Nap time is still the time where mommy nurses and rocks her sweet little girl.  She is still my little baby for a little while longer.  She will always be my baby but she won't want to be held and rocked much longer so I am going to soak up these moments and treasure them.  Later we will play and have a big time, but for now it is mommy time, I mean nap time.  </p>
<br/><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-MFdO8YrgmVA/Umk8K3PqGsI/AAAAAAAAAlM/mLFctOXFRUU/PhotoGrid_1382627932269.png' /><br/><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-yXLWvUtrf3A/Umk8LzwCcqI/AAAAAAAAAlU/DfZEmIerUwE/IMG_420692437893962.png' /><br/><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-7gC33bAiopE/Umk8NIoWjxI/AAAAAAAAAlc/-ummRPU2ixU/IMG_125124921244683.png' /></div>Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-50824617954348837582013-09-11T10:34:00.001-04:002013-10-08T08:19:17.204-04:00When that day comes that you have been dreading<div><p><br>
This was last month.</p>
<p>It happened last week.  On Thursday, it wasn't avoidable any longer.  Mothers dread the day and know it is coming nonetheless.</p>
<p>The day their child gets hurt and bleeds for the first time. </p>
<p>Esther was crawling and the blanket slipped under her.  She hit the floor face first and busted her top lip.  The cry I heard said she was terrified and hurting.  It broke my heart.  I scooped her up and hugged her and told her I loved her and kissed her.  I also got a teether out of the fridge for her hold so it would numb her lip.  It worked enough for her to nurse and go to sleep for her nap.</p>
<p>We want to protect them but also know they have to learn to do things on their own in their own way.  It is so hard for us to step back sometimes but it is necessary for them to learn.  It doesn't make it any easier when they get hurt though.  Somehow I don't think it ever will be easy.</p>
</div>Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-27526806661657223232013-09-05T09:36:00.002-04:002013-09-05T09:37:29.174-04:00Post never published: Motherhood<div>
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I found this post draft and decided to post it because it was written when she was around 8 weeks old. We did get her the The Jesus Storybook Bible for Christmas last year and we have also gotten a board book style Bible that will stand up to her active little hands right now. I love watching her daddy read to her out of it. She still wants to play with it but one day she will understand.<br />
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There are so many things that can be said about being a new mother and most of them I have heard from different people at different times. The one that I have heard the most is that your life will never be the same. I used to think, well duh! We will have a baby, of course it will be different.<br />
Well, it is not just the normal order of the day changes, EVERYTHING changes. Some good, some bad, and some great! For the most part, it's great. I truly can not imagine my life without our little princess. I will admit, the fussiness at 3 am because of gas is not great, and trying to figure out why there is gas is not great. Even in those moments though, I look at her and smile and thank the Lord for her.<br />
She is the best gift the Lord has ever given me, besides one other one. The best gift is salvation through His Son Jesus. I want to teach her this and feel it's one of the most important tasks I have as a mother. She may only be a few weeks old, but I am burdened (in a good way) with this task already. I am looking forward to getting her The Jesus Storybook Bible and creating an Advent calendar to explore with her. <br />
Motherhood is amazing, and there are no words that can describe it. Those moments when I feel as if I will explode just looking at her because I love her so much. The moments of panic when I actually have time to get in the shower and wonder, is she still breathing? Then I hear her little chuckle she does in her sleep. <br />
There is nothing in my life that compares to being her mother. I am very happy being just that (as well as a wife to my wonderful husband!). </div>
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Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-25644099885675217372013-08-24T10:56:00.001-04:002013-08-24T17:09:25.793-04:00Motherhood has taken over<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, my little bundle is 10 months old today! Where has the time gone? I only wish I knew. She is starting to crawl and zooming around in her walker, trying finger foods and breaking our hearts every day. By breaking them I mean making them explode with love! It is amazing!! It is also tiring and time management has gone out the window for me. Last year I did a Bible study named, "I used to be Organized," and I thought I would have it together. HA HA HA All mothers know the humility that comes with becoming a mother. If only we knew what we thought we did before we had children! :)<br />
I haven't blogged in awhile but I have decided to start back. My posts may be simple and short or they may be long-winded (I have discovered a couple of topics that are a big deal to me.). They will probably be irregular but I think I will enjoy doing them this way. No pressure in other words. We moms definitely don't need any more pressure!<br />
So I will leave you with Esther's newest trick (as in this morning). She used to lay in the pack n play and roll around and play, well you can see for yourself, those days are a thing of the past!<br />
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<img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-T2kXZiTivnY/UhjJ8sDXf5I/AAAAAAAAAjE/ubxGC_asnMQ/IMG_20130824_083129_324.png" style="text-align: center;" /></div>
Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-17921804473380844762012-10-21T06:03:00.001-04:002012-10-21T06:03:04.741-04:00The Proverbs 31 Woman: Divine Guidance or Unachievable Goal?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_u9PJd-0y1c/UIPIDZw1LqI/AAAAAAAAAZs/uDvEwNbnBz4/s1600/IMG_3677-Edit+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_u9PJd-0y1c/UIPIDZw1LqI/AAAAAAAAAZs/uDvEwNbnBz4/s320/IMG_3677-Edit+copy.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is from an idea I had for a 1950s maternity photo session (its a selfie).</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The Proverbs 31 woman has created a lot of discussions in
today’s society among Christians and non-Christians alike.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Many see her as the unattainable vision of a
perfect wife or the ultimate set up for failure.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Women that work publicly feel sometimes it is
a condemning view because they aren’t in the home trying to accomplish all of
the things listed.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Many stay-at-home
mothers feel lost trying to do this while taking care of the children and house
and for many, run a business from the home.</span></div>
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Personally, I feel encouraged by the Proverbs 31
scriptures. This has not always been the
case. In the past, I would get all fired
up by doing a study on the scriptures and then try to get a plan put together to do it all in my home. After a few weeks or even days, I would throw my
hands up in frustration because I had messed it all up, again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have recently been doing a few studies that focus around
these topics and still working in them.
It’s hard for me to stay focused so I find that if I use more than one
and go between them, it works better. I
know, it’s not normal, but neither am I!
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span> Here they are:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.proverbs31.org/store/product/i-used-to-be-so-organized/">I
Used to Be So Organized by Glynnis Whitwer</a> (book and online component)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://womenlivingwell.org/free-proverbs-31-ebook/">The
Proverbs 31 Woman, One Virtue at a Time</a> (book and online component)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-of-Proverbs-31-ebook/dp/B00797MO2E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342711740&sr=8-1&keywords=Pursuit+of+Proverbs+31+by+Amy+Bayliss">Pursuit
of Proverbs 31 by Amy Bayliss</a> (book)<o:p></o:p></div>
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So far, these have been really good in helping me get my
brain straight as well as my heart. Most
of my time is spent in with the other two filling in
when I have some extra time. I will finish these once I am through with<span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">I Used to Be So Organized.</span></div>
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So where am I going with all of this?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Well, mostly I want to say that the Proverbs 31 scriptures can be an encouragement
to all women! Moms working publicly,
stay-at-home moms, unmarried women, and women of all ages from teenagers to the
aging. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I do not believe anyone should feel condemned or judged by
where or what they have chosen in their lives; as long as they choose it by
God’s word and not by the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you read the Proverbs 31 verses, you can see that she
does a lot of commerce or business driven activities as well as homemaking
tasks (and not necessarily all in the same day!). I believe that God calls each of us to do things
that aren’t necessarily right for others.
Our focus should be our hearts and whether they hold God’s intent and
desires or our own. When we allow the
world and its standards to dictate what we are doing, then we will have
problems. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This is why I believe so many people get upset when faced with
these scriptures and get defensive (and yes, I am looking in the mirror with
this). We have to evaluate our reasons
for doing what we are doing and make sure the Lord has led us there and no one
else. If you are a nurse at a hospital,
a teacher in the 5<sup>th</sup> grade or a CFO in a business; God may have
called you there and that is wonderful.
If you are a stay-at-home mom with a business and it is not God’s
intent; then you should re-evaluate.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is my hope and desire that women stop pointing fingers at
each other and encourage one another no matter their circumstance. I have seen too many working mothers put down
stay-at-home moms and stay-at-home moms act superior as well. <o:p></o:p><span style="background-color: white;">I pray that we can all be encouraging to one another.</span></div>
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God created each of us in His image for His glory! Please help lift one another, not tear each
other down. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I am about to be a mother for the first time but I have
worked in one of the largest accounting firms and now I stay-at-home with a small
business so I have seen each side as a wife.
I know being a mother is going to change my life, and I praise God that this
is happening. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So as we continue down the path we feel God has given us, I desire to keep Him first (and throughout everything) in my life. This time, I am hoping not to get frustrated and quit when things don't go just right in my studies, but to say instead, today is a blessing and <span style="background-color: white;">tomorrow is a new day.</span></div>
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PS If you would think you would like to do the book, I Used
to Be So Organized, let me know. I have
created a file with all of the blog post links in date order to make it
easier. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-26923027836217026062012-09-03T19:32:00.000-04:002012-09-03T19:35:05.455-04:00Wow! Where did the time go?Wow! I am 33 weeks pregnant now and only 7 weeks to go at best! Eeekk!! It is starting to get more and more realistic to us between time, growing belly and the movement of the baby. We have had family come and help work on some things at the house and have been given 2 showers by friends and family. <br />
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It is times like this you see and appreciate how wonderful and giving people can be. The Lord has definitely blessed us. We have had 4 and 5 people that are family or like family help us replace almost all of the windows on the main floor of the house (totaling 9). We have just finished with the inside molding and are in the touch up process after caulking and such. Super excited to see a finished wall after 2 years of exposed windows!!!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DgDgr52-XK4/UEU9gAzj9hI/AAAAAAAAAXk/zEbpcA3xKYg/s1600/window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DgDgr52-XK4/UEU9gAzj9hI/AAAAAAAAAXk/zEbpcA3xKYg/s320/window.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is one after the molding.</td></tr>
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It is hard to stand by and watch though, I am used to being right in there. I think I am still able but no one seems to want me to do anything involving tools, especially power tools! :) So I am the "camp cook" during these adventures. Cooking and cleaning for everyone for three meals a day, gave me a small glimpse into the life of my great-grandmother. I say small because I didn't go to the garden and pick or put up any food, make any soap, gather eggs or work on any quilts. She did these things and a lot more every day. She also kept my mother and her brothers and sister.<br />
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So, I guess in a few weeks, I will get a little closer to her life when the baby comes! Mama Wilson could work circles around me though. She was an amazing woman and she is missed every day. One day, I will tell you more about her and Papa Wilson. But until then,<br />
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<br />Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-46885938553162504282012-07-19T08:35:00.002-04:002012-07-19T08:36:09.480-04:00Days that go Up and Down<br />
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Wow! What a day!
Twice yesterday, I got all excited and then let down. I posted on my Facebook and Twitter a
question, what do you do when you feel like the day is going wrong?<o:p></o:p></div>
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So far I have received a variety of answers, but all of them
encouraging to me. </div>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">Moment by moment, with lots of prayer!</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">Go back to bed and take a nap, or at least take
a few moments to stretch and take a deep breath!</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">Go back to bed, take a nap and then pray when
you get up.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">Prayer!</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">Take it easy!</span></li>
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Yesterday morning I didn’t do my quiet time for real, it was
more like a sleepy email time. I believe
this is why I have been out of sorts today.
If I had taken the time to pray and read my devotion, I believe I would
have handled these disappointments better.
I mean really, how important is a smartphone in the total scheme of
things? The crib is a little more
important situation (we thought we had found one like we wanted for a good
price), but even at that, I need to trust that God will work it all out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My attitude directs my responses to my day and everyone
around me. My attitude is set by my
heart and my heart is directly connected to my time with God. So, at lunch we (me and the baby) took a few
minutes to reconnect my heart and attitude. </div>
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Hopefully, this will reinforce the importance of my morning quiet time
in my brain. <span style="background-color: white;">Everyone has been saying I
need to learn to take naps for when the baby is born, so a nap attempt is good
too!</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-63886244388387096332012-07-12T15:51:00.002-04:002012-07-12T15:51:49.866-04:00<br />
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Well I have been thinking of starting back blogging, but had
some pretty nervous moments. I really
enjoy it and it is definitely ‘good for me’ time. But I had the nagging questions,<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Can I do it and keep up with it?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Will anyone read it?</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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So considering all of this, I have decided to start back and this is my
first venture back into the blogosphere! Yea!
I am very excited (albeit nervous) about this! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Here is a little update on our lives.
We are still working on the house but have completed a lot of it! This does include the laundry room moving
upstairs and out of the basement! Woot Woot!<o:p></o:p></div>
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We still have all 3 of our fur babies; Briggs, Shelby and Lady. Lady is still my baby even though she has
grown oh so much! Here she is last year
and this year:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another new iron in the fire would be my job working for a local
photographer. How this came about is a
post all in its own, but was most definitely God’s work!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Last but not least, we are expecting our first baby in October!! Woo hoo! Yippeee!! Needless to say we are thrilled! And nervous.
And scared. This is normal, right? Being that I am a little older, I have been
spoiled by having ultrasounds almost every time we go to the doctor. I will show some of them in another
post! <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Everyone says our lives are about to change and never be the same
again; they also say it is for the better even when it doesn’t seem like
it. I believe them because I have seen
plenty of changes in me in the last few months!
The things they don’t warn you about!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anyway, I hope everyone has a blessed day and see you soon!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--1QuuvwIp-M/TcgoPFcIiDI/AAAAAAAAATo/qGze2GLObVo/s1600/signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--1QuuvwIp-M/TcgoPFcIiDI/AAAAAAAAATo/qGze2GLObVo/s1600/signature.jpg" /></a></div>Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-69330763138601731412011-05-18T18:17:00.000-04:002011-05-18T18:17:39.332-04:00Well, looks like JuneI have been out of town and will be out of town for the rest of the month of May. I thought I could get posts schedule ahead of time but I couldn't!! Part of the reason is we have a new waggy tail!! Her name is Lady and she is 9 weeks old and I love her oh so much!!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XpsvEzCdNME/TdRE9kBH8FI/AAAAAAAAATs/aovJenjQVJo/s1600/downsized_0513111119-718035.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608183260414210130" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XpsvEzCdNME/TdRE9kBH8FI/AAAAAAAAATs/aovJenjQVJo/s320/downsized_0513111119-718035.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Most of the reason is just being places without internet! My parents are in between carriers and I don't think we will have it on the mission trip, so I am waving a white flag and hoping you have a wonderful rest of May!!<br />
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I will be doing my first giveaway when I get back!!<br />
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Smiles and waggy tails,<br />
Lee AnnLee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-66410548469109657932011-05-11T06:25:00.005-04:002011-05-11T06:25:00.167-04:00We'll Work 'til Jesus Comes Wednesday #2<div class="MsoNormal">Welcome to our home! In my last (and first) Work til Jesus Comes Wednesday post, I showed a few pictures of our house before we started working on it. You can see those <a href="http://lamarkham.blogspot.com/2011/05/well-work-til-jesus-comes-wednesday.html">here</a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The first few projects we did focused on getting the basement livable and the kitchen usable. First priority was the central heating & air unit. I tend to be hot-natured so AC was important the summer was coming up fast down in the Sultry South. Normally, this isn’t a DIY project so it would just be picking the company and waiting on them to install it. My hubs knew a certified company that would allow him to do part of the work, thus reducing our cost! Such a smart man! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was during this time, we removed the old gas furnace from the floor of the hallway. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rxWm-ovEmO8/TcgkuMgd5CI/AAAAAAAAATQ/S-JgiG_LMnw/s1600/100_6272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rxWm-ovEmO8/TcgkuMgd5CI/AAAAAAAAATQ/S-JgiG_LMnw/s200/100_6272.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Since, it almost gave me a concussion on more than one occasion (one time it was not good, I just sat in the floor for awhile), I happily took my birthday present to it! Let me introduce you to Demi, one of my birthday presents last year.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSZa1FkKuoE/TcglWobxM7I/AAAAAAAAATU/wFHpkWvVGfE/s1600/sledgehammer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSZa1FkKuoE/TcglWobxM7I/AAAAAAAAATU/wFHpkWvVGfE/s200/sledgehammer.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This isn't actually my sledgehammer but looks just like it did when it was new.</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am happy to report the furnace now resides in a junk yard north-east of Athens where we sell our junk metal. <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">The kitchen was next on the list. Hey, we both love our food and prefer to eat at home.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HzRq9w7WYp4/TcglvtauCHI/AAAAAAAAATY/hOSekicrhks/s1600/100_6258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HzRq9w7WYp4/TcglvtauCHI/AAAAAAAAATY/hOSekicrhks/s200/100_6258.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My MIL found BINS and we used it to paint the inside of the cabinets to control the stains and smell. It worked great!! If you have any area that needs the super primer approach, then you should, most assuredly check out BINS!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MqZZjsMABPI/Tcgmb3ErbjI/AAAAAAAAATc/XjSgbUiT2sk/s1600/bin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MqZZjsMABPI/Tcgmb3ErbjI/AAAAAAAAATc/XjSgbUiT2sk/s1600/bin.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">I will take this opportunity to explain the smell and stains because in some places the stains still haunt us. We have been told they are from cigarettes and the tar contained in the cigarettes. In some rooms we have primer and two coats of paint and I can still pick out the stains. Most people wouldn’t notice but I do. Later we will have to repaint some rooms. The kitchen of course had the added bonus of the stovetop and all the fun smoky things that come with it. <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
Well, once we painted the cabinets, we needed a countertop surface that would hold up for a little while. Once we get the “new” kitchen area up and going we are going to tile the countertops with a 12” porcelain tile which you will get to see in the future!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We decided to use the plywood we would be using for the tile as our temporary countertops after we checked the price of even cheap Formica ones. I used an exterior paint to help with stains and water and then screwed them down. We installed the stainless sink we scored for $50 at a discount building place on our honeymoon. Oh yes, on our honeymoon! LOL<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The sink was actually an undermount with clips around the sides that are used to install it. This is where my other birthday present came in handy – my Dremel! I told you I have an awesome hubby!! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iiDDW9eQrqc/TcgnPERyB5I/AAAAAAAAATg/_8qMgf6dvto/s1600/dremel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iiDDW9eQrqc/TcgnPERyB5I/AAAAAAAAATg/_8qMgf6dvto/s200/dremel.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I used the dremel with a metal blade to cut off the clips and then it started it’s new life as a drop-in.</div><div class="MsoNormal">After we got our “countertop” ready, I lined the cabinets and went to unpacking the kitchen stuff. Let me tell you, this is where I realized (and this is not the first time) that I have too much stuff! So this is what the kitchen looked like after all this work.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MD9B4vQ0EO0/Tcgn50tMK1I/AAAAAAAAATk/nqCKe_cISuc/s1600/100_7198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MD9B4vQ0EO0/Tcgn50tMK1I/AAAAAAAAATk/nqCKe_cISuc/s320/100_7198.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Downstairs in the basement, we had two rooms and a hallway to deal with on the floor issues. The bank had said they had reached the end of their useful life. And next week we will go down to the basement and see what we can get in to!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Don't forget to come back Thursday night to see my first giveaway!!! Get your tastebuds ready!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-61889030084983358772011-05-09T06:48:00.004-04:002011-05-09T13:52:59.683-04:00Monday Mutterings #2<div class="MsoNormal">What makes me smile . . .</div><div class="MsoNormal">First is definitely my amazing husband, who sometimes surprises me with breakfast in bed when we stay up too late watching episodes of Bones (and he is the one who has a job to go to!!)!!! I could go on about him but I won’t except to say he also doesn’t mind occasional splurges like the next item on my list.</div><div class="MsoNormal">My new purse by Liz Claiborne (which was half-price, yippee!!).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Z4IdQ2YoFc/TcaI5mOAZXI/AAAAAAAAATI/U0LZbJTGWfM/s1600/100_7800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Z4IdQ2YoFc/TcaI5mOAZXI/AAAAAAAAATI/U0LZbJTGWfM/s320/100_7800.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Yes, it’s yellow and that is my latest obsession!! My nails are yellow also, and the sandals I found the other day at Charlotte Russe for $10. Now to find the belt to tie it all together (hehe).</div><div class="MsoNormal">And you can see some more things I like on my Yellow Love board on <a href="http://pinterest.com/lamarkham/yellow-love/">Pinterest</a>. <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span> Which is the next thing on my list of smile worthy items, and it is oh so addicting!! I want to go through my bookmarks and pin them all so I have a visual of them. <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nInK4CIf2_4/TcZ1YTAvHgI/AAAAAAAAATA/FrgNYgcFEt8/s1600/yellow+board.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nInK4CIf2_4/TcZ1YTAvHgI/AAAAAAAAATA/FrgNYgcFEt8/s320/yellow+board.png" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am really getting into vintage styled dresses. My red dress is not vintage but to me it has that vibe. Because of this new interest, there are two dress patterns I would like to find and make. One is the one below I found on Sew Weekly (<a href="http://www.sewweekly.com/">www.sewweekly.com</a>). Mena is sewing all of her own clothes and they are vintage styles! You should check her out! Look at this fabulous example!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mxjw5idXrDQ/TcZ1I_0YGZI/AAAAAAAAAS8/rte0dEdffVk/s1600/yellow+dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mxjw5idXrDQ/TcZ1I_0YGZI/AAAAAAAAAS8/rte0dEdffVk/s320/yellow+dress.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">The other is a shirt-dress that I have seen online at times in different versions but I don’t have a single image to show you. I am going to dig through my grandmother’s patterns and hopefully find something I can work with to get what I have pictured in my head.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The problem I have with vintage is that most of the time it costs more. I wait for sales to buy patterns as it is so I have a hard time paying that much for patterns and then it may not be the right size. So we will see how this turns out. Always an adventure!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">And the last thing for today is my fun find at Goodwill, a bed tray:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SrOAWTxhsT8/TcaInMT5bZI/AAAAAAAAATE/jt0gFfHlj_g/s1600/100_7804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SrOAWTxhsT8/TcaInMT5bZI/AAAAAAAAATE/jt0gFfHlj_g/s200/100_7804.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">As I mentioned above, Hubby and I like to watch Bones episodes at night. Well, we don’t have cable or satellite so we watch them on the laptop via Netflix. The laptop gets a little warm when it is on the covers so I had been looking for a tray or something to set it on but didn’t want to pay the prices I saw. Then I found this at Goodwill for $3!! Yay!! LOVE thrift stores and being in a college town, they have some good stuff normally. I will be updating this tray, and give it a happy look. Can you guess what color I am going to choose???</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p>PS Be sure and come back later this week for my very first giveaway!! It's going to be yummy!! :)</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6RYlakZvxPM/TcgjZLVw9lI/AAAAAAAAATM/CewFX7e0iYQ/s1600/signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6RYlakZvxPM/TcgjZLVw9lI/AAAAAAAAATM/CewFX7e0iYQ/s1600/signature.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div></div>Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-52568456409869130602011-05-04T09:10:00.001-04:002011-05-04T09:36:34.679-04:00We'll Work 'til Jesus Comes WednesdayWell, any of you that have done any remodeling on a house or even just decided to update a few things, know exactly what I am talking about with my title. I have to credit my MIL and her MIL with this song title. This is what they say about our house and the work they have done already, and we have sang this lovely hymn a few times while we were working. :)<br />
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So this will be the first of many installments on our progress remodeling our home. Don't worry, I will try to keep it in somewhat short doses. We will start with the beginning, when we first found our home.<br />
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My wonderful, amazing husband and I got engaged Christmas Eve 2009 and on Martin Luther King weekend we started house hunting. Well, we looked at a lot of places and were getting pretty discouraged and then a friend told us to look at the foreclosures in the paper. We did and found 3 or 4 to check out. Our house was one of them. We didn't call a realtor because we wanted to get a feel for things first. The house had a side door unlocked (still wonder about that!) so we could sneak in and take a peak, so come join me walking around our house and what it used to look like. :)<br />
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I believe our house was built in 1961 and they added a carport which they later turned into a screened-in porch. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The screened-in porch</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_566hNhvXD0/TcBAEJY4NzI/AAAAAAAAARs/WKQktSLRYwg/s1600/100_6291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_566hNhvXD0/TcBAEJY4NzI/AAAAAAAAARs/WKQktSLRYwg/s200/100_6291.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xVxI5or7fjc/TcA_7RnXYvI/AAAAAAAAARo/UHqNfLhZTsE/s1600/100_6284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xVxI5or7fjc/TcA_7RnXYvI/AAAAAAAAARo/UHqNfLhZTsE/s200/100_6284.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> Front yard view and the front door.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-12cjj3mzwEA/TcBEEgMvjYI/AAAAAAAAARw/GG0x0xMNdLI/s1600/100_6257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-12cjj3mzwEA/TcBEEgMvjYI/AAAAAAAAARw/GG0x0xMNdLI/s200/100_6257.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sFY8iR_GuVM/TcBEM49WYiI/AAAAAAAAAR0/FKICVmi4nV8/s1600/100_6258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sFY8iR_GuVM/TcBEM49WYiI/AAAAAAAAAR0/FKICVmi4nV8/s200/100_6258.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">The dining room area and the kitchen. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0TnDA46ZU90/TcBEVK9hnKI/AAAAAAAAAR4/-5Lj5eYUsWE/s1600/100_6259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0TnDA46ZU90/TcBEVK9hnKI/AAAAAAAAAR4/-5Lj5eYUsWE/s200/100_6259.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">The living room.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8uxP9GXg2Kg/TcBEdhFHBdI/AAAAAAAAAR8/ybxyUrTz9_8/s1600/100_6261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8uxP9GXg2Kg/TcBEdhFHBdI/AAAAAAAAAR8/ybxyUrTz9_8/s200/100_6261.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yAR4rN_im0k/TcBEl5FSxzI/AAAAAAAAASA/2BZTLLMvwYA/s1600/100_6262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yAR4rN_im0k/TcBEl5FSxzI/AAAAAAAAASA/2BZTLLMvwYA/s200/100_6262.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">The 3rd bedroom and the bathroom on the main floor.</div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"> The 2nd bedroom (check that closet!) and the 1st bedroom.</div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">The basement stairway (love the fabulous green carpeting - NOT). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KdkRyCq190s/TcBGO6FAG_I/AAAAAAAAASQ/GiBFnlx8Vw8/s1600/100_6269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KdkRyCq190s/TcBGO6FAG_I/AAAAAAAAASQ/GiBFnlx8Vw8/s200/100_6269.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
The first area in the basement. It will be like a den or family room with couches, TV and a small table and chair set. The wood stove has come in handy this year.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">The doorways to the basement hall and the basement bedroom.</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was the gas furnace that was in the floor of the hallway upstairs so it protruded in the hallway in the basement. Stay tuned for what happens to it later.</div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">The basement bathroom and the basement bedroom. The blue tape around the toilet is from the realty company. They taped saran wrap around it so no one would use it since the water was turned off for the entire house. :)</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EZKiYK6QFgo/TcBG7Fq1iQI/AAAAAAAAASk/k0KD9QMhJsM/s1600/100_6280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EZKiYK6QFgo/TcBG7Fq1iQI/AAAAAAAAASk/k0KD9QMhJsM/s200/100_6280.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This lovely carpet was in the basement and holds surprises yet to come!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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This picture shows what bad shape the hardwood floors were in when we got the house.<br />
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So if you are still here, yippee! I feel like I have been through some of the work all over again just looking at these pictures. Next week, we will start with the things we had to do to be able to live in the house much less make it pretty, but we always try to do that right? So we will be in the basement for a little bit.<br />
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Love and waggy tails,<br />
Lee Ann<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xvp10AS4EVk/TcFWS0s3IsI/AAAAAAAAAS0/GU28IYaqmEo/s1600/LivingWell.png" /></a></div>Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-75891435158487950132011-05-02T09:08:00.003-04:002011-05-02T09:19:31.004-04:00Monday MutteringsWell, I am still trying to figure out what schedule to do so for now, today will be the first Monday Mutterings. Mostly it will be an update of my life and that entails. Hope it's not too boring for you! <br />
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One of the reasons I have not posted as much lately is I have been starting a new business. Well, it's a new to me business, Bowtique Expressions. One day in Hobby Lobby (gotta love that store!), I met a lady and her cute daughter and we discovered we had a lot in common. She was working with two other ladies making handmade dresses, bows, ribbon sculptures, headbands and flip flops and you get the idea. They would set up a booth at festivals to sell their wares. The lady I met made the dresses and did the sewing and she was feeling overwhelmed so they invited me to join them. Yippee!! Well, apparently things were more overwhelming for her than we realized because she has decided to take a break for awhile and that has left the sewing to me.<br />
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So things have been quite busy for me and the other two ladies. I have had orders for 11 dresses in 3 weeks along with a couple other things for gifts. Most have been simple dresses, so not difficult but time consuming to figure out my work flow. We are working on a website since most of our orders are from online. Currently, we are using a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/bowtiqueexpressions">Facebook business page</a>. :)<br />
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I did manage to get my "Easter" dress made last week. Yes, it was the week after Easter but I still wanted to make it. I made the Jaime dress by Sis Boom. Sara over at <a href="http://www.sewsweetness.com/2011/04/ready-set-go-sis-boom-jamie-dress-sew.html">Sew Sweetness</a> had a sew along on her blog but I didn't get a chance to do it in her time frame. It was very easy to follow and I had a lot of fun making it. And since the royal wedding was happening, I got out one of my hats and donned some gloves!<br />
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On the home front, hubby and I are continuing to work on the house. We are working in the kitchen and dining area. With the help of family, our most recent lesson is about cabinets. You cannot build a cabinet and then bring it in the house when you only have 1/4 inch clearance. Happy to report we figured this one out before we put it together. I picked out two pantry cabinets that are 96 inches tall so we had to work on these before we can do the tile, which is what we are working towards. :) We have a little demo to do first. And yes, I love this part!! I even have my very own sledge hammer!! (and yes I can use it!! haha)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CF0f1Crfe8U/Tb6oH9FeG9I/AAAAAAAAARQ/T3klrU1ExFc/s1600/pantry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CF0f1Crfe8U/Tb6oH9FeG9I/AAAAAAAAARQ/T3klrU1ExFc/s320/pantry.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My MIL and BIL working on the pantry cabinets. They rock!!</td></tr>
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Well I think that is enough for the first time. I don't want to mutter too much! I can talk a bit now and again, LOL.<br />
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Smiles and waggy tails,<br />
Lee AnnLee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265838279721693658.post-85365062204451953652011-04-19T13:18:00.001-04:002011-04-19T13:29:53.602-04:00Blog Update and RenewalEven though we still have a good 3 months of work on the house, I am resolving to get back to my blogging. I really enjoy it and have learned so much from other. SO I am going to start with the title of my blog, it will be Markham Made because I do a lot of different things and it covers anything my little o' brain can conjure up. A few weeks ago I designed a few different logos and got some opinions and I think this is the most liked one:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8lNQnSVmg0/Ta3BD5V6ygI/AAAAAAAAAP8/KfE0bZ0g8t4/s1600/markham_made2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8lNQnSVmg0/Ta3BD5V6ygI/AAAAAAAAAP8/KfE0bZ0g8t4/s320/markham_made2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I think it is my favorite so far, although there is another with swirls that is appealing to me. Any hoo, this will be the start of a redesign. :) There will probably be a good mix of whatever project I happen to be on, our little family and what we have done with our house. I am going to try to make a schedule for certain days to help me keep up. So just like Shelby and Briggs, look for fun things to come!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Smiles and waggy tails,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lee Ann</div>Lee Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801423770686943237noreply@blogger.com2