The Last 27 Hours

Insomnia at 2:23 AM this morning


Tick...tick...tick...wait. That's not right.  I have a digital clock.

But you get me.  I am up.  Right now. It's the middle of the night and I am not sleeping.

Why?

Well, I almost typed it but my heart pogo sticked right into my throat.  I am scared to write it because it will make it real.  OK.  I will just take the plunge because all of you are my precious friends and so many of told me you are praying or just asking how this house hunt is going.

We found a house that we love.

Butterflies in the tummy.  Tossing and turning.  A burgeoning hope that seems scarier than a fruitless search. Those are the things that are resigning me to stare at this glowing box, tap away on these little squares and listen to a symphony of sounds that the hubster is producing over there on our bed that I should be lying down on.

Finding a house we love seems harder than not being able to find one.  Are any of you nodding?  Talking out loud to your computer screen like a loony saying, "I been there sistah!  I am soooo with you!" I hope so.  Because I had no idea.

Back up to 6:00 PM Tuesday...

Tonight we saw a few houses.  The first one was this cutie patootie thing right by the gulf in this adorable neighborhood that looks like beach houses.  So cute.  And this house was right in our price range.  We walk in and it looked just as good.  Perfect layout.  Not too big. Not too small.  Just some cosmetic TLC.  And just 4 roof leaks and termites. And flood insurance.  Cha ching!  Real estate sucker punch!  Did not see it coming.  And we were out the door.

Next up.  A cute house on a cul-de-sac that is owner occupied and we needed an appointment.  Not too bad but it becomes hard to picture yourself in a cute house with all their furniture and clutter. Then I glanced outside and became witness to the only hill in the state of Florida right in their backyard.  My girls could daily reenact the Jack and Jill nursery rhyme together.  NEXT!

Now this one was a shot in the dark for us. The One.  The right neighborhood.  Newly listed.  No issues.  Curb appeal.  A bit outdated but only serves us to make it our own while hopefully getting it a bit cheaper. But the moment I saw it online I was drawn in.  Big time.

We walk up to the front door and there it was.  The knowing.  I kept chasing it away asking myself how on earth can we afford this house out of our budget range. I pray for a hideous interior.  We walk in to dark green carpet and peach colored counter tops.  Really.  

And all I saw was my house. 

Within 30 seconds, I said, THIS IS IT!  Great floor plan.  Beautiful back yard.  Fabulous neighborhood.  And all the little things I had been looking for. After discussing some things, we took great pleasure in praying with our realtor over the house and God's will for us.  I  confess I will be so sad if this does not work out but I keep reminding myself that God is my hope.  Not the house.

Our realtor got right to work with much research and information digging. Tomorrow (today) we find out if they would even accept.  Even as I type, I am unsure if I will even post this for fear I will have to deliver bad news to you that it fell through. And before most of you read this, I will probably know where we stand so I figure what is the point?

Because God is in the business of making the impossible possible. I remember becoming pregnant with Ella after such a long infertility journey.  We found out in November and used our family Christmas card to announce the pregnancy,  We had professional photos done and I remember agonizing over the last line announcing...And Baby (our last name) due in July! I send out over 60 cards each year and at this point I was 7 weeks along with my first pregnancy ever.

As I struggled, God just spoke to my heart and said, "Believe and walk in that belief." And I did. And of course that little baby is Ella.

So I walk in the same belief now, knowing God has already established our next home and is lining up all the details.  Here is my day of manic obsessing with a side of godly peace...

8:00 AM Today
Our realtor calls. Apparently the sellers have been renting the house to their pastor after moving into their other house.

Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy!!

He told the realtor a little about us and about us praying over the house last night.  The realtor responds with, "That's funny because the sellers were just doing the same thing for the right buyers."

Oh boy! Oh boy ! Oh boy! Oh boy!

So after much consideration we are going to extend a one time offer.  Today.  No negotiation dance.  Just  what we can afford.  Because we are really needing  a miracle here.  And if we start off low we may lose the whole thing.  And our realtor prayed over all of it so I am trusting His wisdom since it is the very thing we have been praying for.

12:45 PM: Mortgage Broker Phone Call
Numbers will be crunched.  But not yet.  Maybe in an hour.

1:45 PM
Have not heard anything.  Decide to concoct stress reliever food by combining random items from pantry.  Feel sick.

2:45 PM
Wondering if the way I am obsessing could be transposed to praying without ceasing.  Yet I keep refreshing my email hoping to hear back from hubby to give the go to our realtor to start the ball rolling. Click.  Click. Clickclickclickclickclicklcickclick.  Click.  Nothing.


3:31 PM
Still waiting. Just clicked refresh.  Again.  Nothing. Now I am looking to keep myself busy while the girls are still napping.  There is that pile of laundry...wait...click. Shoot. Nothing.


3:36 PM
EMAIL! Now we are told we are prequalified for more money than we want to spend  Say what?  No, no. Do that again. No reason to spend more than we have. More waiting.

4:36 PM
BING BONG!  Email...with scary numbers of a mortgage we might not be able to swing.  Enough to make us shy away from making an offer. Scary because we never sat down and figured out how we could make it work.  Insert broken hearts and dramatic response.

6:30 PM
After much freaking out on both our parts,  we come to our senses by getting on our knees and we are still going to make an offer. An official offer...with incredible peace.

I want all of you to know that I am so amazed at how many of you have emailed or asked questions about our house hunt and said you have been praying.  That means more to me than you will ever know. I am excited to continue to keep you posted.

Stay tuned and in the meantime...and if you think of it...please pray for us...we need a miracle.

Or send money.

Two Tips Tuesday

Tip #1: Two Tier Plate Stand

This was so simple and fun to make. I was inspired by this post from Tatertots and Jello. I was incredibly impressed that this project cost her only $2! And what I loved best is she used a candlestick to make it.  Brilliant! So I tucked this idea away in the inspiration board section of my brain.  Then I was out shopping and came across these melamine plates.  I loved them because they were two different sizes and the smaller ones had the same graphic but only larger.  Each plate was $1.99. I knew this was the project to use them for! I am astounded at how fabulous they look after only these simple and easy steps...

You will need 2 sets of plates, white spray paint, and two candlesticks from the dollar tree.

Spray paint the candlesticks with 2-3 coats of spray paint and let dry.  Seal if desired.
Do not do this as close to your family van as I did.  Praise God it is white.

 This is what the candlestick looks like when finished.

I used hot glue but Jen at Tatertots and Jello used gorilla glue in her tutorial which I think is a great idea too.  I just did not have it and I of course waited until Monday afternoon to work on both tips for this Tuesday.

I made sure to coat the edge with hot glue and let the drips fall to the inside. I centered it on the bigger plate for the bottom tier and then centered the smaller plate for the top.

 That's it!

Tip #2: Turn a Pot Holder into an Eyeglasses Case

Sunday, I had an opportunity to walk to the library while the girls napped.  My intention was just to browse books and magazines and hang out.  I started reading some back issues of Country Living magazine (May 2009) and I came across this awesome tip in their Idea Notebook section.  

Turn a potholder into an eyeglasses case!  

How smart! And being a 4-eyes since the age of 6 that I am and unable to see the Big E on the chart without them, I was intrigued.  I need to take care of my glasses because without them I am LEGALLY BLIND!  Seriously.

So I made them two different styles using...

 

...these pot holders. 

STYLE ONE (the above picture) is just the kind you slide in with an opening at the top.

  

I started by turning the pot holder over to the back lying horizontally.

I first folded in the terry cloth, pocket portion towards the center.

Then I folded the printed side back towards the center.  I stitched the bottom closed and up the one side leaving the top open for the glasses to slide into. 

No, I do not use a sewing machine.  The last time we got together, we had words, said some things we did not mean, objects may have been thrown across the room. It was not pretty.  And that was before I threaded it.  

But this project is so easy with or without a sewing machine. (Just looks nicer with one of those mean old things).

STYLE TWO is more of a clutch style. This one was my little spin on the basic case.

 

Fold the print side up first.

Stitch up the side on the seam of both sides.  

I used brown thread because I ran out of the pretty tealish color. Grrrr.

 

When you are done sewing the sides, fold down the top and it should look like this.

 I took the pot holder loop off using a seam ripper.

I carefully cut it off as close as I could to the edge.

 To cover it up, I stitched brown felt on the inside edge over to the top. 

I then attached a fun green button for flair. :o)
I plan on attaching a Velcro closure but never got the chance because I had a class to get to.  Sorry for waiting until the last minute. 

The best part about this little clutch case is that you can use it for anything. Throw some make-up in there, coupons, whatever.  And shhhhh.  Who would know it was a pot holder?

Happy Tuesday Friends! 

What is more fun than house hunting?

Let me count the ways...

Tweezing my nose hairs one by one for pleasure.

Getting a huge tax return and then finding out the IRS was wrong and you owe it all back.

Stepping on a huge sewing needle and having your husband pull it out (happened last week).

Dropping a cake you just baked while removing it from the oven.

Having your daughter have a diaper explosion at church and having to pick her up dressed in a diaper and a church issued t-shirt that says "Ski Bunny in Training." Then later finding out they accidentally threw away her poopy clothes that included a pair of Baby Gap pants, a cute shirt from Nordstrom, and $50 Stride Rite shoes. (Oh wait. That really happened too)

Finding an unidentifiable hair in my $8 ice cream cone.

Paying for a pedicure and while walking to the car, tripping and scraping your big toe on asphalt. 

Dropping a cell phone while reaching for coffee at a drive thru and watching it smash into smithereens.

Having a talking scale proclaim your weight at a grocery store.

Having your pants fall to your ankles at a full sprint on the treadmill at the gym.

Giving birth. 

There you have it.  All those things would be better than my past week.  

Now I need to give you highlights from this enlightening process.  A process where us po' folk have eyes and dreams bigger than our wallets.  And friends, we have been schooled in the fact that  the needle in a haystack will take some time to find.  Sadly, time is not on our hands.  Our search has included fixer uppers so allow me to invite you into this new world I did not know existed...

 Admit it.  For a split second you thought this was our new house.  But alas, no. Just another attempt to find humor in this very humbling process.

Found a house with a missing section of stair railing, half finished floor boards and a faux finish that was a hybrid of a Tuscany and Grecian villa. There may have been a cat sitting in this faux painted window of this random wall.  I have blocked out the memory so don't hold me to that.

A laundry room that had wallpaper in ginormous, cutesy font with the sentence over and over and over...I HATE LAUNDRY ROOMS.  The words each had their own primary color for effective POP!

A house with a bay window that had a "fixed" window seat that had issues. Well, those issues were termites and they ate the entire window seat.  It was wood pulp.  

A house that was redone from the inside out and soooo gorgeous. When we arrived, we saw it had a fabulous view of Applebees and Home Depot right out front.

More blue bathrooms.

Pink bathrooms.

Hunter green bathrooms.

Bathrooms that make a phone booth look big.  Remember those?

A house with an island that was a stove and oven.  Yes, the top was the stove.  The best part?  It was that dingy yellow color and still had the last meal on it.  True story.  And when we arrived I believe we walked into a house that was once part of a 60's commune.  Wood paneling was EVERYWHERE and a bathroom where I believe the only way to use the loo was to climb in it because there was no room to stand in front of it.


I know I will have more stories to tell.  But get this.  We have an AMAZING realtor.  He is someone we already knew from church, he is amazing at what he does, and he lets us call the shots. He never pushes us but he is so great about reminding us of what we want when we consider settling for something less than what we are looking for.  We have been blessed!

But I covet your prayers.  I am struggling, I am stressed, and I am NOT standing on faith as I should. It has been a week that has felt like a year and I am slightly panicked.  Yes, after a week.  I am not a laid back kind of gal.  More like an intense, overly worried, freaker outer. 


But the hubster provided some perspective for me tonight and has ordered me from the "Search Process."  He is a good man.

And you all are good friends to be vested in this process with me.  More updates to come.

Two Tips Tuesday

You all know I am crazy busy right now, right? And as much as I love doing Two Tips Tuesdays, I am not sure I have the time to do this every week.  Hubby and I do a class every Monday night and you know all the other house and kid stuff that is keeping me hoppin'!

Now I want to see if any of you would be interested in guest blogging for Two Tips Tuesday.  It would be a great opportunity to showcase your amazing skills and know how in...well...anything! It would also be a fabulous way for others to peek in on your blog and for all of you to get exposed to other blogs.

Interested?  Let me know!  It will be fun, fun, fun!

Now I am so incredibly excited to introduce you to Crafty Chic Mommy.  MY FIRST GUEST BLOGGER! The first time I stumbled upon her blog, I was hooked.   Not only does she have a ridiculous amount of craft genius brimming to overflowing but she makes being craft savvy look like the easiest thing in the world.  Plus, she is a brilliant google searcher outer. I am convinced this is a paid title for some genius out there.  I love how she shares crafty scoops from the webby world.

The wealth of information, sources if inspiration and just crafty flair all make for a fun blog to read.  Plus, reading her is like a warm hug from a forever friend.  She is so down to earth and sweet all at the same time.  So without further ado...Crafty Chic Mommy has an adorable craft with pictures of her scrumptious and even more adorable daughter.  Enjoy!

Hello Two Shades of Pink fans. You and I are very lucky to have come across this wonderful blog and I'm even luckier to be her first guest poster. I'm always touched when I read Jessica's posts, I feel like I know her personally and to tell you honestly if we lived close I would want to hang out with her. She has a beautiful soul, I can tell, and she sounds like a wonderful Mommy.....she is a wonderful mommy. Thanks for this opportunity Jessica. 

So a bit about me, then I'll quit rambling and get on with my project. So my blogging adventure starts with google...my favourite search engine. Whenever I needed craft inspiration I would search on google for other brilliant craft website and blogs. In my search I came across some very wonderful blogs both about motherhood and crafts. Then it hit me....I need a blog. So one rainy day in November 2009 I sat down with my fat free caramel latte and CRAFTY CHIC MOMMY was born. I often think to myself why didn't I do this years ago? Every week I find myself crafting away in the little happy corner of my house, then I take pictures to share with everyone else just like other blogs have done for me. I'm giving back to the bloggy world and it feels good.

So onto my post already... 

Tip #1: Apron Craft

Last week I made my daughter Ashtyn a wooden play kitchen. I figured every good cook also needs a good apron so I got down to work on Friday night making Ashtyn one...yes lame I know on a Friday night...welcome to motherhood....   

I used a placemat, ribbon and a sewing machine to create this little gem. It took me no longer than ten minutes to make only because I had to re thread my sewing machine.

 Here is whatcha do...

1.  Lay your placemat down with the wrong side facing up towards you.

 2. Fold both corners down, and pin them for sewing.

3. Sew along the sides leaving an inch or so for your ribbon to feed through. Do this on both sides.

 4. Then take one long piece of ribbon with a safety pin on one end and feed it through each little pocket you've sewn.

5. Tie off the ends of your string so they don't come back through the holes during use. You can also tie on a few big beads but keep in mind choking hazards

 6. There you have it.... a cute little apron made in minutes and the perfect size for your messy munchkin or your blooming chef.

Happy Craftin,

Crafty Chic Mommy

Is this not the cutest?  It looks so easy and I love the end result!  Now, you must, must go see this amaaaaazing kitchen she did with her own 2 talented hands and incredibly sweet heart.  

Tip #2: Felt and Fabric Rings

OK.  Well since we have a craft vibe going, and Crafty Chic Mommy did an amazing job,  I will just share with you my latest craft fun inspired from one of my favorite craft blogs, Happy Together.  She has a fabulous tutorial for making ribbon rings and I used the basics of that tutorial to make these...

These were so fun to make and fast too!.  Instead of ribbon, I used gray suiting fabric for the gray one using the selvedge edge (is that the right term?), brown felt and green scrap fabric with woven looking button, and the hem of a white cotton shirt that my youngest daughter outgrew. The middle of that one is a fabric covered button using a nifty little tutorial here for fabric covering a button with out using  a kit.  The best part?  The ring is actually a pony tail holder!!!

This is what they look like on....

 

  

I actually wear these all the time!  They are so fun and make me feel girly.  They would make great gifts, a fabulous brooch, or a great accessory on a necklace.  Or even fun dress up jewelry for a little girl.

Happy CRAFTY Tuesday friends!

Checking In

I know. I have been on a bit of a blog hiatus.  It has made me sad to see some of those precious faces diminish where my bloggy friends are.  But I also have realized that my life is utter chaos at this point and what is more important is my family.  And with sick children and us in the process of finding a new home, something has to give and this blog is one of those things.

But I wanted to just check back in to update you all on what I have been up to besides taking care of sick kids. 

We are actually now working with a realtor to possibly buy a house. 

This is the most unexpected turn of events for us as we are greatly lacking in sufficient funds.  I wish that came off as an exaggeration but it is true.  Yet it seems there are possibilities in this real estate market we were unaware of.  And since this is the first time we have actively looked for a house, what have I discovered is that this process is EXHAUSTING, TIME CONSUMING, and ALL TOGETHER EXCITING.

The good thing is that we have perspective.  We are not getting our hopes up and we are still willing to rent a home if buying does not work out. We have already been approved for a loan and we are being EXTREMELY conservative.  In light of that, the choices are slim pickings because what we want does not match up to what we can afford. Tee hee.  I can be high maintenance. I just don't want to settle on something to buy.  Do you not agree?

But this is what I know.  God is in the business of doing immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine.  Not only that, but I take complete comfort in God's "NO's" in my life.  Each time God has extended a resounding no, I have seen the blessing.  He has snatched us from the fire on all too many occasions.  

Like the last time we were going to search for a house, we were approved for a loan of $350,000!  We laughed and said there was no way we could afford that and scaled back the search process yet the temptation was great. Then one month later, hubby was laid off of his job.  He then had to take another job (his current one) making less than half of what he was making before.  Wow.  Yet we have persevered because...I kid you not...on paper, our budget does not work out. Yet for the last 3 years we have been just fine. For 3 years we have seen God's provision in a mighty way.

Jesus, I magnify your holy name. 

A few years ago I took Beth Moore's bible study Believing God.  There are numerous nuggets of wisdom I gleaned from this study but one thing that stuck was something I have said over and over since hearing it...

"We see little because we believe little."  

I know that statement is a tad negative.  Because a more positive spin is 'We will see much if we believe much."  But the negative highlights where our faith is deficient.  And what I have come to know is that the end result is not the reward.  It is the faith journey to whatever end result God has already established. 

Faith is not believing God gives us what we want.  Faith is believing God for His best and sometimes His best is a RESOUNDING NO and giving us the last thing we thought we would need. 

That is the holy God I serve and I rest in His perfect plan for us.

So I just wanted to take a moment to say hi to all of you.  To confess to you yet again that I still get sick to my stomach when someone decides to stop following my blog, questioning myself and wondering what I did.  

Then I remember that when I put my hope in what man thinks for me, I have wandered from the path to sanctification that my God has me on.  I have focused on the temporal instead of  the eternal. I am not of this world.  I am merely in it, as an ambassador to Christ.

So I have regrouped and remembered that my blog is a wonderful way to give praise to my God and to remember I am not here to please man but to glorify my King.

And to remember that I have precious friends, of whom I have never met yet encourage me greatly. For that I thank you.  So hang in there with me as I go through a tumultuous process that may result in frequent absences. 

And please, please always remind me of what is truly important.

A Little Stressful Surprise

ATTENTION!

Attention Please!

Will the woman indwelt with the Holy Spirit, who can do all things through Christ please step forward? The one I have been waiting to find Me again?  The one who I have missed deep fellowship with, please approach the throne.  Of grace.  With complete confidence.

Hello?

Helllooooooooo?

Hmmmm.  Perhaps this will take more than just a loud calling.  Perhaps circumstances will weed out the one I have been calling. 

And so the mercy of the Lord has fallen upon me just like His mercies are found in every trial or discipline. Because every trial draws us closer to him; to deep fellowship, daily reconciliation, and a beautiful, holy yoke that will handle the burdens of life.  My life is the one my King knows the beginning to end and all that is in between.  

Oh, Lord, how good you are.  So, so good.

You are the definition of goodness in that whenever you discipline me and bring me upon my face I, in holy wonderment, draw closer to the well of living water...and drink DEEP. Every time I am humbled by the living God, I feel immense and purifying RELIEF.

Friends, I am humbled that life is never what we expect it to be.  And fortunately the surprise circumstance we find ourselves in is small compared to the many other trials people deal with every day. But it is still a wonderful way for God to get my attention for me to FINALLY heed the call to depend wholly upon him. (do you hear the hallelujah chorus?)

Tuesday, I received a call that we would have to move out of our home due to the owner being in the latter stages of foreclosure.

Do what?

For those of you newly visiting my little blog, hubs and I just rent and have been in our house for the last 6 years. Our story is more understandable from this post.  Anyway, we have had no plans to buy a house in this ridiculously crazy market so we have been OK.  We can live with the ugly cabinetry, unidentifiable paint colors,  terrazzo floors and lack of an ability to update.  Because I have been sure I will have a roof over my head. 


But this?  This was so unexpected.  We are living on the CHEAP, my friends.  Our rent amount is UNHEARD of in this here parts.  Out neck of the woods is way overpriced.  Let's just say CHA-CHING!


So we will be on the move. By the end of April as a matter of fact.

Now we are frantically trying to find a place that is...


1.  An upgrade from this place
2.  Closer for my husband's commute
3.  A quieter neighborhood with actual grass. Yep, no grass in this yard.
4.  A bathroom that can fit two people in and one that is not blue.  Yes, our guest bath is blue.  

Wait, I gotta go take  a picture of this hideousness.  It calls for a visual. I am literally getting up from this computer to take it...

There it is.  My dirty little secret. Oh, the horror.  I have a blue, retro, frighteningly ugly bathroom.  I did with it what I could by throwing in some brown but really the thing is still ugly at its best. 
I feel more free just sharing this with you. I have no more secrets from you. None. But now I have this photo to treasure for always.

The best part of this whole stressful situation is that God is here.  He knew this would happen.  And he knows where we will be in the next chapter of our lives. And I am finally paying attention. My life is never what I expect it to be and sometimes my circumstances can NOT be controlled by me.  Much to my prideful chagrin.


So here we go, folks. Because you might be getting an earful of venting.  Or weeping.  Or nashing of teeth.   If you have not caught on, I don't deal with stress or change all that well.  At least not initially.  But this I know. God has never, ever let me down before.  Ever.  Oh, He may have something different in mind than what I first wanted or hoped for.  But His way is always better.


So we say goodbye to this blessing...

And eagerly wait for the next.  
While I obsess a little.  I am only human.

Two Tips Tuesday

Tip #1:  Secret Admirer Valentine Ideas

Secret Puzzle Message

 Here I used black and white photos of the girls when they were a bit younger on a thick piece of cardboard I saved from a discarded box.  I just used scrapbook paper and Modge Podge to seal the photos and then distressed the black paper to reveal the pink underneath.

 You can cut the pieces using another puzzle as a template or freehand. Use sharp scissors or a craft knife.  Other options are to write a love letter or sweet message over the front of the pictures or on the back.

Secret Cookie Message

I plan on baking some wonderful heart shaped, sugar cookies for my sweetie. (Like above but  with a fun message)  After icing them, I will write out a message on each of the cookies.  Once they set, all the cookies will be put in a pretty container for my fabulous husband to  figure out my love message to him. Just like a puzzle but you GET TO EAT IT!

Tip #2:  Flowers for a Stranger

You know, I thought of this idea but I have to confess that I am nervous to implement it.  I think it is such a nice idea and it would make someone's day.  I thought about buying one or two bouquet's of flowers and have Cati and Ella hand out flowers to people in the check out line at the grocery store, at the library, or neighbors. 

I have to admit I am not always comfortable putting myself out there but I believe nothing would communicate the love of Christ like a gesture such as this. 


Would anyone be willing to do something like this with me?  Just to bless someone for no reason?  I think I would be encouraged if some of you did it with me.  


And seriously, who could refuse a flower given from two cutie, patootie little girls?


Happy Tuesday!


Oh and PS:  I think this week I am going to renege on my promise to post every day with the loooove theme thingy. I overextended myself. So since I am accountable to no one regarding this blog I seriously questioned the undue pressure.  Now I will post when the mood strikes.  Why?  Because I am feeling stressed about it and that is just silly.  I am going to stop over-committing myself to things I have no time to do and just blog when I am inspired...not because I gave myself a schedule.  Amen and amen.

The End on my little self pep talk.