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I've been waiting for the perfect time to return and tell all my story of disappearance...

I've decided to make it a mystery unfolding for you article by article,

but here's a "sneak peak" of what's been added to my life in the last year and a half...

The strength and beauty of single parenting...

The reward and accomplishment of hard work...

The anguish and overcoming of a challenging but successful surgery...

The safety of love and healing at Nana's house...

The honesty, happiness, and freedom of finding true love...

The pride and empowerment of my teaching degree!!

The excitement and elation of an engagement...

A big, beautiful bounty of grown babies :):)

 Hope and eager anticipation as we look to the future...the glimmer in his eyes...we feel in our heart at the awesomeness of God's creation and will unfolding...

I also gained a few pounds and an apartment building...

So stay tuned for a full blown expansion (of the building not me) and remodel of our home all done with dirty hands and beautiful style!

I've missed you and I'm excited to be strong enough to join the blog world again!!

Thrifty Fashions

This is a different kind of “thrifty” post than I normally do, but I’ve been busy working on this…
…or supervising little man’s work on this anyway :)

You will have to wait to see the rest of the story…
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This morning while getting dressed…I was so excited about my new spring outfit! 
Then I was even more excited when I realized how cheap it was!!

I decided maybe it would make a good thrifty tips post,
but as I turned back in the house…I saw this…

THIS is why I L-O-ve that song “From My Front Porch Looking In”




Now understand that if I hadn’t just listened to a sermon that touched on vanity…well…I would have cropped my face and hair right out this pic…it did not look like this in real life…or at least I’m telling myself that!


…maybe I missed the real point of the vanity thing…

…and…what do you know
…these two handsome men are dressed in thrifty finds too… 
   

Here’s a few random tips…

- Rely on thrift items for basics…other than jeans…

Notice when your basics are getting worn…and begin looking for your size in that color of pant, short, skirt…

- Go often…
If you only have a little time…choose to only look at a few sections each time

- Leave empty handed sometimes

Only buy what you love and what will work

-For yourself -make sure it “fits like a glove”
If it is a little too long, short, tight, big…leave it there!

-For your little ones…stock up!
I buy clothes ahead of season and store in boxes by size…some things will not work out, but I will resale them now problem…I rarely HAVE to go shopping for the little guy…I just go the closet

-For your man…just hang it in the closet.
If he’s anything like mine…he won’t even notice the new additions…he’ll just grab his dress clothes and put it on.

Well…I could go on, but my hard working man needs me to push the gas pedal in while he tunes the carb…this is the only time he opens the door for me before I get in…so see ya!

Oh…wait…to redeem me from the Sears Catalog looking photos…here’s our thrifty Easter pic…


Please stop by next Wednesday for my first "Shop Your House" linky party!!

(Oh and..Did you see my new button??)

Linking to...
Thrifty Mondays at Southern Hospitality

and...

Trash to Treasures

My Grandma called it dumpin’
My Mom called it garbage pickin’
I call it goin’ green!

Seriously…my mom and her siblings talk of Sunday afternoons spent at the county dump rummaging through the discards for clothes that might be worn or furniture that might be used…

As a child…my siblings and I would all hide on the floor of the car when my mom stopped to check out someone’s trash!  We were mortified!!

“Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, I’m my Mother after all!!”

PS…I’ve had brown hair twice in thirty years
and this happens to be one of them…

I have found some of the best stuff along the curbside!  We have online groups that tag themselves as “Freecycle” and that makes us feel better about our need to go ‘dumpin’…

Call it what you want…but having these makes ME feel better!

(I was moving the table at the time…ie…odd placed items…)
And this is one of my all time l-o-ves…

And of course you know how these are inspiring my guest room/office for Over The Top Vintage…

View Full Album

Part 2 is coming soon…I promise…
And while my eye is to the curb…little man benefits too…

View Full Album

No joke…ALL of this I found for FREE!!!  Not too shabby…or maybe shabby chic!!!
Warm weather is here!! Picnics, walks in the park, garage sales…and trash pickin’!!!!  L-O-ve it!!!

Check out my "Rust & Moth" corner in the sidebar for more thrifty treasures!!

What's My Typical Day from Kelly's Korner

What's a 'typical' day??? I'm not sure I have one, but I'll give it a try because I'm diggin McLinky;) and Kelly's Korner was kind enough to let us share...

I think Mrs. Proverbs 31 would have said something similar...if we honor God as we serve others a carousel is a great ride!
My high school sweetheart's alarm sometimes wakes me up at 4am. I try to whisper...I love you and have a good day. I do love him and I do hope he has a good day, but I think I really mean "THANK YOU for working so hard and getting up before dark so I don't have to!" I haven't yet achieved Proverbs 31:15 "she rises while it is yet night..." I do try on most days to rise before the son (note s-o-n) and sneak in a Bible reading, a prayer, and of course check the phone for email, facebook, etc. updates...

I go into Austin's room (he's 2) and say "Good Morning Son" and he say's one of two things..."I'm all waked up" or "I'm all done dreaming!" L-O-ve it!!! Then it's breakfast for him at his mini table and a movie (I know bad-bad!) and then I finish getting ready for the day.

Next up work out at the Y...walking, running, and toning...occassionally swimming together - those are great days!! We also have to have our job done by 11am. I say 'our' job because since he was 6 mos old and I took on this SAHM life (poor description - more like DWFTM doesn't work full time mom) we have been cleaning the VFW hall together. It gets old, but it's good spending money, and he is learning so much from the responsiblity and comraderie he gains from this.

This puts us near lunch time. Hopefully we can stop at home for lunch and a nap!! On a great day...I nap too!! Typically though...I have three tasks to accomplish during nap -- school work for me (Online UoP student finishing BEd), any work from home that I can accomplish for The Green Thumbers (home & garden center - I merchandise, buy & market) and now...blogging. Most people think I wouldn't have time to this, but I enjoy so much sharing not just my hobbies, but my faith with whoever's willing to listen! It's also a bit of a self-challenge...

When Austin wakes we try to have a little 'school time'....Bible stories, letters, numbers and then of course Hot Wheels!! He's so much like his daddy!

Then I try to sneak away and let him play to finish whatever I didn't get done during nap time. Suddenly...I look at the clock and we better sweep through the house for a quick clean up and get supper going. I like to use that time to teach Austin little things like how to set the table, put the silverware away or anything else he can somewhat safely reach!

Um...I think I'm starting to talk about how I wish the day went...

We try to have a sit down supper at least a few times a week when we can find the table. Then if it's Monday or Thursday...we put little man down by 7pm (lucky - I know!) and catch an hour of TV together. Then my sweetie heads for bed, and I'm back into action...grocery shopping, making his lunch for the next day, laundry, workout (if not done earlier), phone calls, and check back into life online...

Somedays include blowing up his lunch...click on the red igloo...

Now not included in this rather simple description is any of these or other random things:

- gardening

- canning and storing fresh foods

- preparing Bible lessons for classes at church

- daily talks with mom, sister and random friends

- letting the dogs in and out of the house/feeding and watering

- decorating

- flirt text my love

- reading magazines

- going to church

- hitting the Goodwill

- library & storytime

- stopping for ice cream

- antiquing

- watching Little House on the Prairie

- writing a book

- oh...and cleaning!

The truth is at the end of the day...my works are nothing if I have not remembered...

"Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,

But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

Give her of the fruit of her hands,

And let her own works praise her in the gates"

P.S. I'm currently working on taking my many lessons for teen girls and women on Proverbs 31 and compiling them into a corresponding mother/daughter Bible study. I would L-O-ve for you to share your thoughts and experiences from Proverbs 31!!!

Salvaging me

So I looked up salvage today in the dictionary and basically all of it's old meanings have to do with salvaging from a ship! Even more appropriate for my thoughts because I feel like my ship was shot at over the weekend, and I wasn't sure if it was friendly fire or not:)

I had an opportunity randomly thrown in my lap to teach which is what I expect to do someday, since I am in my last year of finishing my teaching degree. At first, I was so very excited! Then as the list of pros and cons were laid out...things didn't seem so sublime.

I find it difficult to make decisions about the little things like what to have for supper. Decisions about the big things are just plain bothersome to me! I didn't want to miss the opportunity if its what God was putting before me, but it also seemed inconsistent that God's plan would mean forsaking my family plan for now.

In the intro to my blog I mention that I often feel like I'm on a carousel. Teaching seems like a logical way to jump off of a spinning circus ride.

Well, guess what...carousels make me dizzy sometimes, but I love carousels! Look at a kids face riding a carousel, listen to the music...who doesn't want to go for a ride?!

So, I think maybe the salvaging God was doing was on my perspective and my attitude. I think he was stripping me down to make sure that I was real. Do I really love what I'm doing now? It may not feel like it on days that the carousel gets to spinning too fast, but YES. I L-O-ve the ride I'm on!!