Inner Beauty

Our church is having a Ladies' Tea and Brunch this coming Saturday as a fundraiser for the youth's trip to Guatemala. They've asked for "crafty" people to make donations for a silent auction, and I knew instantly I'd make something. I knew what I wanted to make by that evening, just didn't know how I'd do it. A couple of days later, I had the vision. I knew what I was going to paint. Here it is!

Now, I had some inner conflict going on while creating this. Do I leave it plain, or do I jazz it up a bit? Add some flowers and sparkle? Even though the verse talks about inner beauty being worth so much to God, I chose to add the bling. Creatively, it pulled the whole painting together. I probably should have left it plain. But I know deep down it was beautiful without the bling as well. ;-)

Dream Come True!

I could go on and on about my dreams, realities, hopes, blah blah blah... but I'm going to cut to the chase. Crafting is more than just a hobby for me. Crafting is my outlet. It is my therapy. It is ME. I started when I was young, I'd say seriously started in college. I started making things for my "future" classroom. I found I was pretty good at it, but didn't do much with it. Fast forward about 5 years. I was living in St. Louis, and found myself to be among some very crafty friends, one in particular. (Shout out to my crafty friend Kim! Love you girl!) She and I dabbled in this and that, and I drug her along with me to one of my favorite stores....Hobby Lobby! Fast forward another couple years, and I found myself living in Milwaukee, with no super crafty friends (love to Christina, but she'd agree with me) and the closest Hobby Lobby was 45 minutes away. Gasp! Don't think for a second I didn't make that trip a couple times a month though! Along about then I came across the Jo-ANN super store... hello fabulous! There were some Michael's in the area, too. I can't leave that great store out! Fast forward to my baby girl being born. Hello Scrap Booking! I started in 2006 and haven't stopped since. 2008 came, my baby boy was born, so multitasking and two different children's scrapbooks were on deck... but I learned how to balance it all! Then in 2010 I really started getting into other crafts, wreath making, painting, painting signs, hair bows, etc. Thus, in 2012, "The Crafty Apple" was born. In these many moves and crazy times, I had a craft room here and there, but never my "DREAM" craft room. Until now. We are in our dream house, dream location, and I now have my dream room. I'm so blessed! Here is the official unveiling of where my crafty magic happens. Introducing...... my Craft room!

Stop the Presses!

I just read a blog from a post on Pinterest that I can identify with. Read it for yourself: http://rachelmariemartin.blogspot.com/2012/08/dear-sweet-mom-who-feels-like-she-is.html Well, I used to feel that way. It does get easier, in a way, as your children get older. BUT I still catch myself feeling this way. Sure, I have crud on my counters. I have a dishwasher filled with clean dishes, and a sink filled with dirty ones. I have work to do. I have laundry to do. I have a house that needs to be painted on the outside, that I started last fall. (For the record, I finished painting the two most viewable sides last winter, and we just cut out the major "bother" (read:big weed of a tree) on the third "kinda" viewable side of the house. The backside of the house is 1/2 painted..... you get my point, right?) I'm a momma who has a lot to do. I feel that I NEVER get anything finished. Or started for that matter. Of course I make sure the family is fed, clean, clothed, and my house is sorta presentable. But I'm not perfect. I still have dirty dishes, cats that need to be brushed, rooms that need to be dusted (I just noticed a piggy bank in the playroom that has fur! (Needs to be dusted.... then I guess cat hair attached to the dust??!?!?!?!) I have floors that need to be mopped, rooms that need to be vacuumed, oh my. But I'm also taking time for myself, by making my crafts. They are my outlet. They are my therapy. They are my release. If I didn't take the time to do them, I'd go nuts. Believe me, I know this. I've suffered with major depression because I tried to be the perfect mother and wife. Guess what? It didn't work, and I refuse to do that to MYSELF again. So when you see my creations I post, please don't think for a minute that you don't have the time to do something like this. You do. You just have to take time for yourself to get them done. The dishes can wait. :)