TNT Day 31 - Worth more than the sum of all my tries.

This is the last post in a 31 day series about Learning New Things. 

Day 31

I was sipping my tea this morning trying to wake up and feeling extremely grateful that baby P was taking a nap, and I suddenly had a thought that I felt like I should keep.  My notebook was on the other side of the room and I couldn't be bothered to stand up and get it, so I opened my handy dandy notes app and typed the following...

My worth is not dependent on where I live, who I know, what I weigh, how often I blog, how many comments I get, or anything else related to what I do.  My worth does not fluctuate with my emotional stability or lack thereof. There is no correlation between my past or future ministry and my inherent value.  Nothing that anyone else says, does, or thinks can alter my worth. 

My value comes from God who calls me by name. He calls me His beloved child. His friend. His bride.  He made me unique, and He delights in me and rejoices over me with singing.  He declares that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. He says I am worthy. 

And He says the exact same thing about each and every one of you my friends.  How different would our lives be if we walked in this truth minute by minute? I wish I did! But I know I forget this eternal truth more often than I remember. But I'm learning. :-)

This month has been such an amazing journey. I've learned so much about myself! I've learned lots of things to do differently next year! ;-)  But I think I want to have a TNT post a few times a month. Either Tuesday's New Thing or Thursday's New Thing maybe? ;-)

November will probably be mostly focused on getting ready to move and then moving and then setting up my new apartment! We get our keys 2 weeks from today!  (scroll down for a sneak peek of an idea I had to turn a lovely limitation into a beautiful imperfection. :-D )

*
*
*
*
*

And here is are some inspiration photos I collected for ideas of what to do with this sad little mini wall in my new apartment. I'm thinking of putting a frame around the thermostat and using command strips to layer frames on top of the door. :-)

I was being lazy and taking screen shots on my phone when I made this collage. But according to google, the bottom left photo was taken from housetohomeblog.com. I don't know where the others came from. my screen shots don't tell me. :-(

Look at her go!

This post is part of a 31 day series about learning to try. 

Day 30

This is the second to last day! This month has been such an incredible adventure! Thanks for putting up with me and my only-out-there-to-me shenanigans. ;-D

  I had so many things I could have written about tonight. A follow up to the rug painting saga.  The new things I tried today.  But I want to keep it simple and just share what the amazing Miss K did today.  Miss K is 4 going on 40 and I have been her babysitter for almost exactly a year now.  In that whole time she has never been willing to go outside by herself, despite having had permission to do so for a little while now. Until today. 

Today she and I and her little sister A were all playing outside on the swings and I needed to go inside to start cooking dinner.  Miss K had been doing a great job of swinging by herself tonight with only occasional help from me for an extra boost or to get started.  I didn't want to throw off her momentum so I instead of saying it was time to go inside, I asked K if she wanted to stay outside by herself and keep swinging like a big girl. She paused only a moment, and declared she was big and she would keep swinging. But she did want one last big push ;-).  And so Little A and I went inside and waved through the window and K kept lifting herself above the trees and into the sky.  I pray she never becomes afraid of trying to fly! 

Day 29 - I decided to try not posting anything.

This post is part of a 31 day series about Trying New Things.  Except that I'm too tired physically, mentally, and emotionally to post anything meaningful tonight. So all you lovely readers will have to wait until tomorrow!  Which is also when I'll add links to future and past posts.

A million times better is better than perfect. :-)

This post is part of a 31 day series about trying new things. 

Day 28

First a reminder of the sad pitiful thing I ended yesterday with...

Tragic right?

Well look at it now!

Isn't that gorgeous? I'd hoped to stage it all fancy with a fern and a chair but it was still drying and I was already running late for work. 

I may or may not give it another coat later. It was still drying when it started to rain so I had to move everything in lickity split.  :-P

I'm really happy with how it turned out in the end. After two trips each to two different stores and spending nearly 100 on paint and supplies, I finally have something I'll be happy to have in my dining room and it coordinates perfectly with the giant rug going in the "living room" two feet to the right ;-).

Lessons learned: The upholstery fabric spray paint does not work well on patterns with high contrast or on anything dark.  I imagine it's best on very light solid fabric with low absorbency. 

Also. A quart of paint doesn't go very far. 

Sometimes it is better to get the good stuff instead of being cheap. 

I know it is kind of hard to tell, but the left side I did with a quart of mid grade paint. The right side I did with the top of the line stuff and I really could tell a pretty dramatic difference in how well it covered. It is also supposed to be highly durable which I'm glad of since it is going under a dining room table that will be used by a baker, a klutz, and lots of younger people. ;-D It is going to end up a little crunchy because I didn't want to mess with fabric medium, but it wasn't a super soft and squishy rug to start with. :-)

And one last before and after...

And with its new best friend instead of very very distant cousin...

Compared to the rug, my bookshelves should be a piece of cake right? Right. ;-)

This post was made possible by the generosity of kind friends who heard we were moving and offered us a gorgeous coffee table, an adorable old rocking chair, and the rug featured in this post. Thanks friends! You know who you are. :-)

TNT day 27: I didn't eat a donut AND I made a very ugly rug! :-P

This post is part of a 31 day series about Trying New Things.

Day 27

So I didn't get my room clean, but I got to have lunch with my parents and 3 of my siblings which is too rare an occurrence these days to miss! :-) I did get my laundry mostly done though! And the rug... Well you'll see...

I was told to meet my family Gourdoughs on 1st street. No mention was made to it being a donut place in a food trailer park. :-P so if any of you want an amazing looking donut with almost any conceivable type of filling/topping I am providing a pretty picture of both the sign AND the trailer itself. :-) so hopefully you won't have to drive around the block to find it like I did. :-)

Sibling love!

And on to the rug!

Three cans of paint...

Accomplished this...

One very dirty looking rug! :-P

I admit that the nasty voice of failure tried to tell me to give up and quit, but I squelched it like a bug, consulted my friendly neighborhood DIY bloggers, and I stopped by the store on the way to work so that I am armed and prepared for Take 2 tomorrow morning! I'm going in a completely different direction. :-D

Oh and here is one corner of the great big rectangular rug that I'm trying to get the round rug to coordinate with, since they are going on opposite ends of the same room! :-D

Do you have any funny DIY fails? Please tell me all about them so I'll know I'm not the only one! ;-D

And if you missed it... Day 26 is still chillin over here, and day 28 will eventually be here!

I ordered stir fry!!!

This post is part of a 31 day series about Trying New Things.

Day 26

Today my friends Karen and Maggie were kind enough to let me join them for lunch. It was Maggie's turn to pick and she selected Fire Bowl Cafe. A place I had been inside only once before... to pick up an order for my old manager. I had no idea what I was getting into. But in the spirit of trying new things I got chicken with creamy coconut curry sauce with a mix of spring veggies that included water chestnuts and shredded bamboo (!!!) on a bed of brown rice.  And it was delicious!  So thanks Maggie! :-D 

*******

At work this afternoon I tried playing memory with Miss K. I was so impressed with how well she listened while I explained the rules and tried to follow instructions. (Historically she has only wanted to play games where she could dictate every last detail.) and she was so cute about cheering equally whenever either of us got a match, and didn't let herself get upset when I had more matches at the beginning (I got lucky). Which is also a big improvement because she is one of the most competitive children I've ever met.  When she grows up she will be a force to be recond with! 

I'm thinking I should try bringing more new games to reach her in the future. :-)

Also saw this picture in a craft book. Isn't it precious?!?!  I think I know a few little girls who need one! Maybe for Christmas... Hmmm.

Tonight I came home and made myself (decaf) Irish breakfast tea prepared chai style with boiling milk and water, and I sweetened with xylitol, honey, and cinnamon. It's delicious! Of all the things I did in Atlanta last weekend, learning the proper way to make chai tea may have been the most life changing. ;-) 

And that's all for now folks!

Tomorrow I hope to get caught up on laundry, clean my room, and paint my rug. I don't have to leave for work until 5pm so this all should be totally doable. ;-D

Want to read yesterday? And here is tomorrow. ;-)

A Superb Saturday! Part 2 - Abi's Baby Shower

This post is part of a 31 day series about Trying New Things. (I know it is only a week left of the series, but I suddenly realized that "Learning to Try sounded way too formal and slightly pretentious so at least for future posts I'm going to TRY ;-) changing the name. Only time will tell if I make the name change retroactive :-D)

Day 24 - Day 26

Day 25 - Part 2 - Abi's Shower (Part 1 is here.)

Okay admittedly the trying new things portion of this is mostly just that I got lots of inspiration for things I want to try in the future! Such a sweet time of fellowship AND I got to color! ;-)

At the shower one of the party foods was build your own trail mix. I love how incredibly adorable and simple this is all at the same time! Brown paper bags with tags!  Abi and her husband Derek made all the little wooden chalk board signs together. Now I want some. Maybe a future project? ;-)

Abi was a full time nanny before she chose an early retirement to be a full time mommy, so she has already read more than a few children's books, and she decided she wanted something a little more unique and personal than your average board book. 

I loved this idea so much! I actually ended up staying later after everyone else had gone to help with finishing the extra letters so she wouldn't have half of an alphabet book. ;-)

Here is one of my favorite cheat tricks. Derek is from Alaska and so his mom who was there suggested it as an "A" word. Now I'm an okay artist but I'm not that good! Enter iPhone (or any other smart phone :-P). I first used this trick almost two years ago now to make a giraffe template for a different shower actually. :-) Anyway. The trick is just to find a high contrast outline of the shape you need using your search app of choice and ideally save the image. Make your screen as bright as you can.  Then put the paper on top of the phone and trace. This is the image I used to make Alaska. 

I also made a zoo picture for Z and I free handed the sign and the fences, but I needed a little help with the zebra and the giraffe. 

I ended up doing pages for the letters A, F, I, and Z, but I think the page I did for the letter F is actually my favorite, although it was also the most time consuming. 

I filled the entire page with a never ending rainbow of words that start with F. Until the last couple inches where I admittedly got tired and just did "...f...." Over and over and over again until I filled the page ;-)

And this doesn't have anything to do with the shower, but it is the cutest baby proofing idea I've ever seen! Won't work on everything, but I definitely want to try this someday! :-D

OH, but before I got to the shower I visited Half Price Books with my parents and got some ideas for things I want to try, I also saw this flyer for a film festival next week. I have no idea how much it costs or if it is full or anything, but it is definitely something I think could be fun to finish off my month, and if I don't make it this year, I'll just keep it in mind for next year! :-D 

HPB also gave me an idea for how to use the old fence boards my neighbor left by the street that I have been drooling over for almost a week. Now that I have a plan for them (vertical garden on my future balcony/patio) I didn't feel guilty about snagging a piece on my way home! Picture to come. 

And that is mostly the end of my Saturday adventures. Thanks for following along! :-)

**********

Things-come-full-circle side story: the shower was hosted by the fabulous Sharon Oneil.  One of my tries earlier this month that didn't make it into this blog happened when my friends Becca and Nathan invited me and Sharon and her husband Miles for yummy soup and great conversation. Sharon and Miles and I have several mutual friends so we keep ending up at the same parties, but this was the first time I got to see their lovely home.  So many cool and unique things.  They even have a secret room hidden by a revolving bookcase that Derek and his brother built for them!  It was a good reminder that letting your space reflect you and what you care about is more important than having everything coordinate perfectly. :-)

You have been reading Part 2 of Day 25. Part 1 is here.  Day 24 is here and tomorrow Day 26 is here if you're curious. ;-)

A Superb Saturday! Part 1 - Love the Rock

This post is part of a 31 day series about learning to try.

Day 25 - part 1 - Love the Rock.
(Part 2 is over here!)

Today was such a full day that I don't want to cram it all into one post, especially since the day was split between entirely different places, people, and plans! ;-) 

My mom and dad and I helped volunteer with our church and 1400 other people from churches all over town to help love on our city! It was such an incredible experience and fun to boot!

I don't have any true before pictures, but this is what it looked like when I got there. 

All done! After clearing out the old plants we got dozens of plants planted and laid out thousands of rocks! I admittedly mostly just moved trash bags, gathered empty "buckets", and swept the pathways, but I was still happy to be there and do my little bit to help! Many hands made light work and we got everything done in just a couple of hours!!! My mom helped lay out the guidelines for the rock path and my dad helped move lots of wheelbarrows full of rocks and a few kids grabbed rides too! :-)

It was such a privilege to be part of such an awesome event and I'm already looking forward to next year! 

My souvenirs :-) I've been gathering different pieces of fall over the last couple of weeks to use in seasonal decorating in my new place. How exactly I don't know but I'll figure it out. :-)

You can read about the second half of my fun filled day here. 

Day 24 is over here in yesterday and tomorrow has Day 26.

It's the little things...

This post is part of a 31 day series about learning to try. 

Day 24

I tried new kind of coffee creamer, a new way of brewing tea (I'm calling it lazy chai: boil the water, add the milk and sugar, then add the tea bag. Once brewed to the desired strength, add a dash of cinnamon. :-D , ordered a gift from an online registry, took the twins to the park after nap instead of before, and I made a facebook group to make it easier to coordinate future game nights!

And then I came home and tried a new flavor of tea... It's funny and encouraging, if I really think about it, I try new things all the time now, but it is starting to become almost a habit or a lifestyle, so I'm not always aware of all my tries unless I really sit down and think about my day.  Otherwise if I'm only looking for a big intentional try in my day, I may not see one right away. 

(random blog-keeping note: I'm often posting from the app on my phone, but it doesn't have all the same features, which is why every few days I have to go back and add in links.  If you are reading this in the future hopefully it is all fixed, if you are reading it in the very near present, sorry I'm not as easily navigable as I'd like to be!)

Flash back to Day 23 over here or Jump forward to Day 25.1 and Day 25.2

The preparatory tries

Today I didn't make any grand new accomplishments, but I did purchase a shower curtain complete with liner and rings for my soon to be new bathroom. 

I also finally bought a can of fabric spray paint so I can give our gifted rug a make over.  It is a huge round rug and I think it will be awesome in our dining area under my round table, but... The current pattern clashes more than a little bit with the other large rug going in the living room area (both "areas" are just opposite ends of a long wide open room) so... I'm hoping to turn the round rug more solid with a little bit of variation to the tone instead of the sort of abstract checkerboard pattern it is currently sporting. I'm hoping to get it done by Monday evening at the very latest, and then I will turn my focus to my shelves update, because since I'm 19 minutes late posting this and it is now officially Friday, that means we are officially only 3 weeks from our move in date! Eeeep!

And now if you'll excuse me, tomorrow I will be watching kids for 12 hours and I desperately need to get some sleep!

I signed....

My first lease!!! :-). Very excited. I move in three weeks and two days! Sooooo much to do! 

I've also been getting better at initiating social time. Just tonight I helped coordinate not one but two different non-work related events with peoples! 

I've been having a hard time getting my complexion to clear up, so starting today through the end of the month I am completely swearing off fast food, soda, and gluten.  I was also going to swear off dairy but my mom told me about a test you can do at home over night to find out if you have a dairy allergy, so I'm going with that! Really really hoping my wrist is clear in the morning because I really really miss my milk!  (I also bought a new kind of facial wipe last night because the facial cleanser I was using was drying my skin out too much)

And here I thought I wouldn't have any new tries for today. :-)

An app a day makes the bloggers happy!

I 

I actually don't recommend getting a new  app every day, but I am happy with the collage app I got today. I even paid the $2 upgrade so it would automatically add my watermark.  I know this will make my life so much easier once I start being more active on Pinterest again and eventually even join Instagram! ;-)

And my first collage wasn't of food I promise! It was of two adorable babies! But I don't have permission to post their pictures. So y'all are stuck with my random food pics. I think I'll blame jet lag.  ;-)

Successfully avoided getting a pat down at the airport! Yay!

This post is part of a 31 day series about learning to try.

Day 20

So I'm not a frequent flyer, but I have been on enough trips to have learned a trick or too.  If I'm going to check a bag, I keep all my liquids in it so I don't have to mess with 3oz bottles and the zip lock bag at security. To keep the metal detector happy I leave off all belts, watches, and jewelry. I've learned that long full skirts and baggy hoodies will get you a pat down because you could be hiding something so I try to wear more fitted clothing. I make sure my shoes are comfy slip-ons so I can easily get them off and on if required.  But when I flew to Atlanta on Saturday, I STILL had to get stopped and patted down because get this... there were "rhinestones on my back pockets" translation... There was too much bling on my butt! :-P  All the sparklies could have potentially been hiding some horribly dangerous something or other. :-P

But I wore a different outfit flying back today and I didn't have any problems! Yay! I have mastered the system! :-)

Also visited The Varsity which is an iconic Atlanta drive-in/dine-in diner and an awesome Goodwill where I found the most amazing giant dictionary ever for $4 and then managed to fit it into my carry-on! (I didn't check a bag this trip since I was only gone two nights)

I will try to remember to add pictures later but tonight I'm too tired. My friends wore me out this weekend but I enjoyed every minute of it! :-)

I climbed Stone Mountain!

 This post is part of a 31 day series about learning to try.

Day 19 - Stone Mountain is a quartz monzonite dome monadnock and the site of Stone Mountain Park in Stone Mountain, Georgia, United States. At its summit, the elevation is 1,686 feet (514 m) MSL and 825 feet (251 m) above the surrounding area. Stone Mountain is well-known not only for its geology, but also for the enormous bas-relief on its north face, the largest bas-relief in the world.^[1] The carving depicts three figures of the Confederate States of America: Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Jefferson Davis. (source: wikipedia)

The weather was absolutely perfect and the scenery was gorgeous and the company was fabulous. :-)

1124 feet and an amazing day.

This post is part of a 31 day series about learning to try. 

Day 18

Had an amazing first day in Atlanta.

Tried so many things! And I helped my friends Maryah and Nathan untangle about 1124 feet of green webbing. That was after a flight, local bbq, festival at ponce art festival (where I bought a print and found pins for my collection), massive farmers market (bought chia seed muffins, a pear, and three kinds of cheeses)!!! A feast cooked by my friend's sister-in-law and a couple of Malibu and cokes rounded out an absolutely fantastic day. :-D

My Maryah friend!

My Nathan friend!

The world's best french fries are to be found here ^^^. If you are ever in or near Atlanta you should go to this place and order their french fries.  Thank you random stranger at the airport who gave us the recommendation! 

I wont make you see pictures of all my cheeses but they were all delicious! :-D

It just kept going and going and going!

This idea sounded good in theory but structurally wasn't very sound so we had to adapt our technique.

This lovely lady made us an amazing dinner so we could untangle, eat, and go right back to untangling.

I didn't get a picture of the finished roll. It was about twice as big around!

And 5ish hours later we finally had all the webbing untangled and rolled up! It ended up weighing almost 30lbs! It was more tangled than a plate of spaghetti when we started.  No words will ever convey the hilarious rediculousness of what we did to accomplish this. But  Victory was ours!!!!

And tomorrow we go to church and climb a small mountain :-)