Autumn in the Shop!

I'm definitely in the fall decorating mood lately.  I have been busy making some autumn-themed primitives for sale in my Etsy store, The Sunflower Tree.  I'll be making more of these little cuties, too!  Be sure to stop by!

The Sunflower Tree Design Studio

How To Build a Lightbox

I just added an instructional entry in my blog, A Shower of Sunflowers.  If you are interested, check it out!

Finally Finished

The Big Unveil...

Well, it took two extra days, a lot of stress, many extra trips to Lowe's, and four sleepless nights at a hotel, but we finally have our new bathroom!  It was a frustrating experience, to say the least, and completely extinguished any desire to remodel again, but everything is new and updated and fixed.  We might only have one bathroom still, but it's definitely nicer!  Below are before pictures:

And a picture of a layer of old vinyl:

And after!:

 And yes, in case you were wondering, we did get the faucet and vanity that I mentioned a while ago in another blog post:

We have a bathroom that is approximately 12' long by 5' wide--a typical bathroom size for an older home.  To make it feel larger, we chose better lighting, a light-colored wood vanity, and kept the walls a lighter color, and even though we chose a larger tub and deeper vanity cabinet, it still feels like a larger space.  The porcelain tile gives it a much more polished and refined look, especially as a shower surround.  We also updated our towel bars, toilet paper holder, and towel/robe hooks to a more modern brushed nickel finish, with tied everything together well.  We like it.  I don't want to do this again, but we have a nice, updated bathroom.  It should help us sell the house in a few years without a problem.  Woohoo!

Christmas Partyin'

We attended hubby's Christmas party on Saturday night.  It was a good time, with lots of good food, live music and dancing.  There are always a lot of people there, but it never seems crowded, unless you spend the night near the open bar.  Here are a few phone pics and videos (I apologize for the quality--I need a phone that takes better images).

The local high school orchestra played before the band arrived.  They were very good!

I also took video of a couple who was really enjoying the music, and this guy had sweet moves!  I'm guessing they were in their late 60s to early 70s.  The video won't load onto the blog, but it was fun to watch them all night.  Just take my word for it.  I ran into the lady in the bathroom and she told me that he was from Greece, and that they just really get into their dancing over there.  Sounds like fun!

Staying Occupied

I've been staying very busy filling online orders lately.  I appreciate all of the support that family and friends have given me, as well as the support I've gained on Etsy, the website, and Facebook.  Thanks, everyone!  And there's a good chance that I won't have another entry before Christmas, so I want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and happy New Year!!

I've been reading an online devotional from Chuck Swindoll.  Right now, he's discussing the story of Esther, another favorite story in the Old Testament.  God's not mentioned in this book, but He's certainly orchestrating everything that happens in it!  What a brave woman Esther was.  And smart, too!  She wasn't vain, she didn't aspire to be royalty, she had patience, and she understood timing in the events that were destined to occur.  She was all of these things because, through her life, God had made her into the person He needed her to be to save her race.  While she didn't necessarily want the palace life, she was obedient to not just her uncle, Mordecai, but also to God in what she was instructed to do.  Her humility caught the eye of the king, who had dismissed his previous wife for her unwillingness to obey, and this landed Esther in a position to save the Jews and fulfill prophecy.  Whew!  Good thing for that!  I wish that I could have more of Esther's attributes.  To read the book, click on this link: Book of Esther.

A Day at the Zoo

Note: Please check out my new venture: The Sunflower Tree!  Click the tab above this post, or go to http://thesunflowertree.weebly.com!

The Toledo Zoo

My husband and I had a visitor with us this weekend--his brother.  He comes to town occasionally for job-related training, and usually when he's in the area he stops by.  This time, he stayed a few nights, so we decided to take him to The Toledo Zoo.  It's a nice zoo, and has many great exhibits.  He'd never been there, and we were trying to think of things that we would all be able to do, and this sounded like the best plan, despite the heat.  The zoo turned out to be less busy than I expected, but busy enough for a hot day.  Our first stop was the penguins, because my brother-in-law said he's never seen any before.  On the way, we stopped to see the tigers, but they were trying to stay cool inside of their little cave.  Even the penguins found that time of the day to be too hot to do anything, because there were none swimming around in the water--they were all standing in the spray mist!  I guess we arrived at the time of day when the animals were least active, so we decided to get something for lunch before seeing any more exhibits.  Then we headed to the elephants to see the newest addition, a 380 lb. baby elephant named Lucas (for Lucas County, the county where Toledo is located), and boy was he cute!  We stayed there a while, then went to see the other animals.  We checked back later at the penguins and tigers, and they were both out and about now, so we enjoyed watching them for a while.  After that, we headed over to the Africa exhibit, where giraffes, zebras, and other savannah animals are kept, then finally we headed home.  After a long hot day in the sun, we decided that dinner would be carry-out that night, and we would get ice cream later from a local sweet shop, and spend a relaxing evening watching movies before my husband's brother left the next morning.  All in all, a fun day!  Below are photos from the zoo:

Penguins in the Mist

Lucas the baby elephant

A face like no otter!

Are you lookin' at ME?

Poison Dart Frog-no touchy!

Great red octopus--very cool!

That last visitor was tasty...

Large, medium and small.

New Stuff

The Fireflies Are Back!

I'd like to take a moment to say, is there anything more relaxing than a warm summer dusk and watching the fireflies talk to each other in your backyard?  I contend not!  It seems to me that fireflies have been more scarce this year, but last night as I was reeling in the hose, they were out in full force.  I sat down in a patio chair and just enjoyed watching them blink to each other for quite a while...it's just fascinating to me that they can do that.  To me, seeing the fireflies is a quintessential summer staple.  I'm not a bug person, but I do like the fireflies and their blinking little behinds!  For some interesting facts on fireflies, check out this link.

Fireflies!

What Else Is New?

Well, I'm proud to say that we have had several projects finally completed on our house!  Our roof has been replace and looks great, our living room has been repainted and rearranged and looks great, and our new couch has been delivered and looks great.  The roof took about a day and a half, and we did have an Amish crew do the work.  Overall, they did a great job.  We decided to go with a two-tone gray shingle instead of staying with the reddish-brown shingles that were there when we bought the house, and it's a nice change.  They also re-roofed our shed out back. Over the Independence Day long weekend, my husband and I were able to repaint the living room and hallway with some deeply-discounted Sherwin-Williams paint (we bought $45 a gallon paint for $25 a gallon!) and we went back to the basics--a creamy off-white color, which looks great with the leather couch and large wall map picture from Hobby Lobby (which we purchased on clearance).  Except for the couch, it was a pretty inexpensive change, and we couldn't be happier!

New Boss

We're also going through a transition at work.  The former pastor was reappointed to a new church, and the new pastor started Friday.  I don't work on Fridays, and Monday was a holiday, so I didn't actually work with him until Tuesday...except I barely saw him.  I know what it's like to be the new person at a job--I've been that many times.  I don't think, though, that I've ever had to experience a new boss!  This will be a new experience for me, and a time of transition for everyone.  My husband has patiently reminded me a few times that I don't really work for my new boss...that I work for Him, and that God's in control of the situation.  As a person who seems to increasingly dislike changes and disruptions in my daily routine, it's difficult to handle some of the recent changes with any sort of grace.  I don't have a choice, though, and it will all work out one way or another.  I just need to continue to put my trust in Christ.

New Creative Idea

As you might have noticed, I've been pushing hard for my new website, The Sunflower Tree, to take off.  I would really like to see this become a real business for me, but I can't do it without your help.  So I ask you to take a moment, visit the site and "like" it on Facebook.  Even more helpful would be to share it on your Facebook page!  The more people that know about it, the better the chance that I'll start getting some orders.  I'm constantly creating new ideas, and I post them as quickly as I can while working around my job and housework and so on.  I'd like to say thanks again to those of you who have shared my site--I'm very grateful!

It seems as though there are a lot of changes and new things in our life lately.  There are sayings about trials and changes: "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger", "(fill in the blank) builds character", and so on.  I do believe, as many do, that God uses trials (big and small) to transform us into the creations He meant for us to be.  We need to be flexible and have faith that what He allows is for our good and His perfect will.  Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will".  2 Cor 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!", and Isa. 43:18-19 says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."  Perhaps the trials that God allows us to experience are His way of making a stream in the wasteland of our lives.  When we thirst for Him and His mercy, He will not only nourish us, but he will change us and cause us to grow in Him!

My New Online Store!

Okay, so I think I have everything together now!  Drumroll, please... I'm starting an online venture called "The Sunflower Tree Designs and Paper Goods".  You can see the website by clicking here.  My goal is to ultimately be a self-sustaining web store, but I need your help by telling others about it.  Please share the link with anyone you think might be interested!

To the right is one of my notepads.  I draw the designs, edit them in Photoshop, and turn them into cute little notepads.  They range in size from small enough to fit in your purse to the size you see in the photo, 5" x 8".  Most are the size of a quarter sheet of paper, though.  I'll be adding more items regularly.  I do still have my Etsy listings, but will probably not continue it after the listings expire in a few months.  

Thanks to everyone who has been kind enough to follow my blog.  I am very grateful to have such kind and caring family and friends!  And now, I'll go back to writing about what we have been up to, instead of selling things (although I'll be keeping a link to The Sunflower Tree for people who visit the site but don't know me).  Thanks again!

"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you"--James 4:8

A New Venture!

Hello everyone!

Just a quick note to let you know that I've started a shop on Etsy.  It's called The Sunflower Tree, and you can view my listings here.  I'll be adding more items as time allows, so please check back often!  Right now, I have recipe cards and note cards listed.  I will be exploring the option of customizing items in the future.  If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment at the end of this post.  Also, in the near future, I will be starting a website to sell my goods.  I'd appreciate your support, and there might even be something in it for you!  Watch Facebook for more details soon.  Thanks, and happy shopping!