Crafting

I have really really enjoyed having such a nice sewing machine that also embroideries! So most of these projects have been gifts, but I made a little V-day porch decor using the embroidery, too! :)

I'm getting really close to be Autie "Areah" by another nephew... :) These burp cloths were on Ranelle's wish list for little Brendan Duke, so I made a sample one so she can choose exactly what fabrics she wants for the appliqué! :)

It just mesmerizes me ;P

I LOVE it! and I love that I have a machine that can help me craft! I really do! It brings me very much de-wight! :D

Since Fall-time and Christmas is past, I needed some decor on the porch by the back door :)

I decided to make this sign with a jar that way I can put my fresh flowers in in when summer comes! Oh how I want flowers!!

I embroidered several hearts in different colored thread, cut them out and pasted them to some stiff cardboard... :)

Not an embroidery thing, but I was very proud of myself for making sure this picture didn't just lie around un-framed. I had this print on my wish list for a long time, and Alyssa gave it to me for my birthday :)

So I grabbed a frame sitting up in the attic, and I re-painted the wood and mat boards.... and ahhhh, the gorgeousness! :)

And most recently, I made this hand towel for a girl from Thailand that stayed with us as a foreign exchange student! :) She has sent us packages for Christmas and Birthdays for years... so we like to send her a little something back. :)

-MarLeahJoy

Sad Story Part One:

The back screen display on my camera doesn't work anymore. So basically I'm working like a film photographer (with the aid of a few semi-auto settings). It's going to be quite the challenge this weekend shooting a wedding ceremony with off-camera flash lighting. D: But I plan to bring my computer to the rehearsal to look at the photos so I can adjust the flash position. 

Sad Story Part Two:

Not long ago, I ran out of storage space on my external hard-drive... so I've been uploading my pictures to flickr to store until I decide to bite the bullet and buy a new one. 

The Positive Good (out of my sad story):

It's actually helped me go through and edit photos a lot faster though, because:

1. I want to seeeee the pictures!

2. Since I'm not just dumping pictures on a hard drive, it changes my mentality to go ahead and simply keep (upload for storage) the ones I want and completely delete the trash pics... (I normally keep the trash pics and all ;P) 

So here's some pictures I uploaded to clean off my memory cards for this weekend. I was playing around with the flash in my house since I haven't used off-camera flash in ages!!!

It's so fun having my own house to decorate :) :)

-MarLeahJoy

"Thank you Lord for your blessings on me..."🎶

This was the video I was talking about in the last post of the babbling stream running below us :)

"Now I know I'm not wealthy, and these clothes, they're not new;

I don't have much money, but Lord I have you.

And to me that's all that matters, though the world cannot see;

Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me!"

But actually today I am wearing new clothes, and by most standards I am wealthy... how easily we take it all for granted. I have a wonderful house with a porch that I can sit on in the mornings... and this morning I'm thankful for the birds chirping and the warmer weather. (Well it felt warm to me until I looked at the temperature and realized it was actually about 35*F) ;)

There's a song in our church hymnal titled "One Thing I Can Do."
All of that is so true, but this morning it just struck me as the "one thing I can do" as being thankful!
Maybe I can't change my emotions right now, but I can sure choose to not focus on them if they are causing me to struggle!

-MarLeahJoy

I've struggled with wanting to get back on Instagram so badly right now. 

It started out at the beginning of January feeling like my life is so boring. I know it's not true, and I'm sure it has a lot to do with just coming out of the busy holiday season into the cold of winter. 

So I've decided that basically what sharing on Instagram does for me is expressing to other people what makes me happy. I don't do that enough on my blog so here it is.

After coming back from our weekend at Heather's place I was challenged to try to use things that I already have to decorate. 

And I got a quick decor inspiration I got for our bedroom. Yay!!

Before

It's so easy for me to not decorate until I think all the ducks are in a row... Like having the perfect paint on the wall, the right furniture and buying decor. So all our bedroom has had is a framed picture Tyrel had in his old bedroom ;P and a salt lamp that I got for Christmas.

After

The other day at TJ Maxx I found those string globe lights on clearance. :D

Then this morning I cleaned up the corrosion out of the battery compartment for the "&" sign. Yay, it works! I brought an old suitcase down from the attic, painted the frame Tyrel had with gold spray paint, painted a fast little sign... (I'm going to need to make another one, I'm not impressed with my penmanship :P), grabbed a picture from the wedding decor and my engagement watch. And Lastly I switched lamps. You can see the mason jar lamp better in the next picture.

:)

Then during this week -- what made me happy was getting to go to work with Tyrel while he cleared brush... and I got to hike through the beautiful snowy woods by a stream.

I literally felt like I was walking around in Narnia. :)

I walked out across this log and Gimpy wanted to come too... ;) I wish you could hear the stream below us that was babbling! It was such a beautiful sound!

*happy sigh* ☺️

-MarLeahJoy

January has been a month for family time... Well technically November and December with the holidays was too, but this is a different kind - maybe more relaxed.

Watching my two favorite boys :) while Marty and Alyssa went to town.

Brent wasn't too pleased that I was making him sit for a picture. 😏

Last week we went to VA to join Keith, Shana, and Summer for a little vacation for a few days. On Wednesday we went skiing during the day. Then for the evening, Shana saw there was open volleyball at the recreation center. So much fun! :)

We tried going down the slopes with these masks on ;) 

Then on Saturday, I got to meet up in Ohio with some of my cousins!!

Heifer, Kate, and Meccccia-Chinggg! :D

In Heathers cute home!! It was so sweet of her and Kevin to have us all!

Heather and Adalynn

Adalynn Maurice and her Mommy

Mecia -- the baker, chef, and all around foodie -- making us cookies! :)

Lunch after Sunday service with the whole crew! :)

Next up in January is a wedding in Missouri, which means time with my parents and siblings! :)