Happy Birthday Nehemiah ♥

                 Great big birthday week!

 

...  I cannot believe that my baby boy is 2 years old...  Such a super fun week..  filled with cards, and gifts in the mailbox..  tons of cake..  a sleepover with the cousins, and LOTS of LOVE.  Thanks to everyone who sent their love and birthday wishes to this amazing boy.  We are so grateful for all of you ♥

Photo Garland How To!

     Okay so I had been wanting to put something over our bed for a while now (I can't live happily with blank walls!) but I couldn't quite decide on what..  I knew I wanted pictures, but did I want a frame...  no...  something different!  So it all started when I saw some gorgeous wall hooks for sale..  I started thinking that I would do a sort of clothes line, except hanging pictures instead of garments..  This was my first thought.  I played with it for a while..  Paul thought it sounded strange, although he usually thinks that way until after my projects are finished - THEN he loves them haha..  Now my only problem with my idea was that i thought it may be too plain..  just hanging pictures..  Then I stumbled upon the super lovely blog of Dottie Angel.  Now, racing through her pictures of what she refers to as "Granny Chic Style" (which is divine)  I stumbled upon a garland.  A fabric garland..  and I started thinking..  I LOVE the way those colors are on the line..   if only I could fit some photos in there...  Just when I was figuring out what to do I saw it!  She had made exactly what I was mentally putting together!  A photo garland.  Some beautiful vintage fabric, some wonderful memories - My exact vision just hanging there on Dottie's wall..  It was bliss.  So I immediately ran out to find some fabric, printed a few new photos, and as soon as I put the kiddos to bed, I was off! It took me about 45 minutes for the entire process!  So simple, and I plan on making many more to dress up my blank walls  :)
      Now, I plan on sharing the how tos with you!  First things first.  You're going to need some fabric, photos, a sewing machine, and some thread.  Here we go!
    

     Step One:  Line your fabric up with your photos.  Pair them so you have a clear vision of how they will lay on your wall.  After you've paired your pictures with your fabrics, you need to cut the fabrics so that the photos have a lovely fabric frame around them.  You should cut your fabric about an inch to an inch and a half larger than the photo. 

Step two:  Simply sew your photos on to the fabric squares one by one.

Step Three:  Choose a longer piece of fabric that you can string all of your photos along.

Then Ta-DA!  You've done it!  Just hang it up and admire your hard work...  Well maybe not hard work, but definitely your creativity!  Of course you can always add your own little touches.  There you have it~ 

The photo garland!  

 enjoy♥

Ok so...

     I have been very bad with my blog posts!  Procrastinate much?  However, I have been GREAT with my diet!  Now, I won't lie because I created this blog to help keep me honest so...  I did maybe cheat a tiny bit the other day..  We had the yummiest treat EVER!  So in all fairness, it was kinda worth it lol.  AND!  I didn't gain from it either (which was weird!) but hey, I'll take it!  So I've been watching what I eat for the past 6 days now, and so far I've lost a pound a day!  YAY!  So exciting to be moving forward..
     In other news - well..  there isn't really any other news..  nothing fun or exciting anyway..  Hmmm..  That's something I need to work on...  I need to have something wonderful happen more often..  I will get to work on that though, I promise.  OH!  I did find some lovely things at our thrift store the other day!  Some mirrors, and a crucifix!  I was so excited!  I never find anything religious at the thrift stores in our little town..  Sort of strange really..  Any who - Pictures to follow soon!  ANNND I also have been doing tons of crafty work - SO fun.  So I will be posting pics of one of my crafting ventures some time later today!  So please stop by later, and learn how to make a lovely photo garland!  Oodles of fun!
   

Here I Am.

     Okay so I've been wanting to start a blog for a while now.  I want a space where i can feel free to voice my thoughts, my opinions..  I want to have a place where I can reach out to others while staying true to myself.  I would prefer to treat this as a sort of diary that just so happens to be open for anyone to read whenever lol.
      Me.  Where to begin..  Well my name is Amanda, but everyone calls me Manda.  I am 26 years old, and married to a wonderful man named Paul.  We have 3 perfect children.  By perfect, I mean perfect to me.  To others they are probably a bit too loud, in need of better manners, but always very, very cute ♥  I grew up in southern California.  Since meeting my Paul, we moved to northern California for a while, and are now living in Oregon.  Quite different from the almost always sunny Cali, but I do enjoy our quaint, sleepy, little town.  I was raised as a protestant, with weekly bible studies at my grandmothers home - EVERY Friday night lol.  A pretty happy, slightly chubby child.  I have three sisters.  One step (Leanna - whom I grew up with.)  One half (my mother gave birth to Sasha when I was 18.)  AND!  My beautiful, born with a great tan - nicknamed Brown by ME - sister (Brit - blood related to my step, but tied to me by love.) They are beautiful, strong, courageous, and inspiring women that I look up to everyday.   I feel incredibly blessed in the family department.   I am also super close with my dad, and am so thankful for him.  Since I am married, I also scored some insanely wonderful in-law sisters, brothers, cousins, and then some...  Basically I have a LOT of people to love.
     Religion.  A few years ago Paul (who grew up basically without any religion) and I converted to Catholicism!  Yes.  We are catholic.  I have always felt close to Jesus, but I have never quite felt like this..  I feel a stronger connection to Mary too.  I'm sure it's because of my being a mother.  She's such a beautiful, shining example..  makes me happy just thinking about her..  We are planning to home school our kiddos for the first few years.  It's very important for us to know that the right morals are instilled in them, and that they have a stronger sense of who they are before we send them out into the world.  A few years ago I got the best advice I've ever gotten.  A family member said to me that when God gives you a child, he gives them to you pure.  It's our job as a parent, to return them to God as pure as they were when you got them.  We believe that.  We want to make God proud.  He gave us these amazing babies, and we need to treat them like the precious gifts that they are.
       That's me.  Basically.  Well, the most condensed version I can conjure up for now.  So another reason that I am starting this whole thing up is that I want to change some things.  I need to work on myself, and I feel that having this outlet, this place where I can own up to everything will be a great motivator.  I am not the mother that I want to be.  I'm not a bad mother, but I'm still just not the mother I always pictured I would be.  I need to learn to cook for them, and be more patient.  I also want them to think about God more..  whenever they do pretty much anything.  It's hard to help children understand things about God.  I need to work at it.  Also, I need to work on myself.  I have seriously let myself go the last few years.  I vow to start taking care of myself again.  I am 26 now, and by 27 I plan on being a very different type of person.  So starting now, RIGHT NOW, I will try.  We only get so long here, and I want to make the most out of it..  with Paul..  with the kiddos..  This is gonna be good♥