Happiness

Did you miss me?

Yes, I took an unannounced, unplanned blogging break. I can't even figure out why exactly. I just became unmotivated for a spell. Perhaps the blogs I have rolling in my head wouldn't be appropriate for public viewing.

Whatever the reason, I have been procrastinating, I do want to get to the bottom of it (hey, a new idiom to tell my friend Ping). Nevertheless, I apologize to my loyal readers. And I thank you for encouraging me to "carry on already."

With that, I bring you one of my "Happy Songs" (first notes are produced with a Harp...lovely!) and some "Happy Pictures" of my 9 year old and our dog, Oscar.

This song has the infallible ability to lift my spirits every time I hear it. It prompts me to get my groove on, clap my hands in a double-clap, and sing from the top of my lungs. Sometimes, it brings tears to my eyes as I reflect on the "dog days" and the newfound gumption I feel when I proclaim "the dog days are over, the dog days are all done!"



Beyond the well known Chorus, the verses find common ground with me too. I don't know Florence's meaning behind the words, but I identify with them in my own interpretation.

Maybe it's the Melancholy Me that loves this song. The highs and lows.
I picture myself running, laughing, circling, smiling, riding a horse, then slowly surrounding myself with everything I love.




Does Happiness ever hit you like a bullet in the back? I totally relate!!! I don't know where or how, but sometimes I just feel happy all of a sudden...this songs evokes that in me. My pulse beats a little faster and I feel a rising in my soul. The dog days are over!!



The result? Like the lyrics say, "Leave all your love and your longing behind, you can't carry it with you if want to survive." With the dog days behind me, I feel the ability to leave a trail of Love-for-Others, not keeping it to myself. It presses me to act on my longings so as not to live with regret.

High-five for that!


How about you and your Home-eez?? Have any Happy Songs? Happy Pictures?

Future Thrifter of America {Thrift & Rummage Finds}

I guess my 9 year old has caught the bug! She wanted to model her recent thrift store and rummage sale finds. Isn't she adorable? And look how versatile the Rosette Hair Accessory, tutorial HERE.



Thrifted Feature: Robot Shirt!!
Thrifted, $1.00
Skirt
Target, bought as a matching set with another shirt
Flip-Flops
Hobby Lobby, $1.00
Hair Accessory, Handmade from scrap fabric from THIS project.





Thrifted Feature: White Knit Jacket
Rummage Sale, $2.00
Black Shirt (actually a skirt) with Satin trim and buckle
Thrifted, $1.00
Knit Stretch shorts with lace trim
These have been part of her wardrobe for awhile
Flip-Flops
Hand-me-down from Grandma
There's that Hair Accessory again!





Thrifted Feature: That Skirt (formally known as a shirt)
Thrifted, $1.00
Black Shirt
Thrifted, $1.00
Cardigan
Thrifted, $1.00



At this point, Kabs was really getting into the modeling and wanted to bring you her Farmgirl Outfit.



Thrifted Feature: Plaid Shirt
Thrifted, $1.00
Jeggings
Target (last year)
Cowgirl Boots
Christmas Gift from Grandparents
Headband
Homemade from T-Shirt Scraps



Do you mind that I don't have brand information? I just am out of the habit of worrying about brands and hoping my kids don't take notice anytime soon that brand names might mean anything. I do recognize certain brands hold an element of quality that other brands do not. I try to base purchases more on quality meshed with affordability more than a familiar brand. Hoping to pass that on!

Check out other great Thrift Store finds Here:

"You Might be a Redneck if..."

It took me half of my marriage of almost 14 years now, to come to terms with the fact I just might be a Redneck. As a kid I thought the term was literal, you know people that had necks that were RED. So when I get nervous I get a little bit of red rash on my neck...hmmm I might be a Redneck.

Wait for it...

I was raised a little bit prim and proper and I've never had a liking for country music much (beyond "Friends in Low Places").

I'm not a beer drinker, could care less about NASCAR, and big noisy trucks DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT impress me, and I'm definitely NOT a bigot.  A friend of mine actually accused me of being racist against peach-skinned baby dolls because I always tended to buy my daughter brown-skinned baby dolls.

Anyway, I certainly thought I was in the clear from being classified as a Redneck.

BUT, something happened when I married my socially opposite husband. It just so happens that he comes from a long line of a little bit of redneck, little bit of hillbilly. I didn't see the signs, he didn't much enjoy the things mentioned above either.

But then I began to hear some stories. The first one having to do with Super Glue, a Toilet Seat, and a scheme to sue Wal-Mart. YIKES. Other indicators involved "Rattle Snake Holler," living in campers, and functional outhouses.

Oh dear, I might be MARRIED to a Redneck.

Wait for it....

A couple times in the last 14 years, we've moved my mother-in-law in with us. I learned a lot about the Redneck ways during that first 9-month stint she had with us and I learn something new every time she comes to visit. I credit her for opening my eyes to the useability of everything around me.

You mean I can grow seeds in leftover yogurt containers instead of buying the plastic trays from Earl Mae?

I really began to enjoy the ingenuity of the Redneck. So came the suspicion I might be a Redneck.

We've come to some acceptance here.

My Babe isn't much of a Redneck really, but he HAS accepted and unleashed the humor of the stereotypical Redneck ways of his family.  Someday he plans to author a book titled "How DID they get that Trailer Up on that Hill?"

Me? I've accepted that my standards aren't that of my grandmother, that I probably make some of my family cringe (like when we don't mow the lawn often enough, or collect large tractor tires in our yard) and that these things might just make me a Redneck.

Wait for it...

With the acceptance, however, I've decided to EMBRACE (I really like this word these days) that Redneck part of me and focus on the positives of being a Redneck.

With that being said, I like to think of Rednecks as just a little bit more RESOURCEFUL than most. Outside- of-the-box thinkers, perhaps.

I mean if you don't have the money to buy seat covers to cover your quality seats in your 1992 Ford Escort, just put an 3XL Shirt over the seat!

Now that is resourceful AND outside of the box thinking!

If you have no teeth of your own, why not save a little money and USE the hillbilly teeth as dentures?

Anyway, you can see I will defend the ways of the rednecks. I continue to suspect I am one and to be sure, I picked up this little resource to help me out.

"You Might be a Redneck if..." THE GAME. 
Thank you Jeff Foxworthy.

And thank you Rummage Sale holders because I never would have bought this for more than $2.00 (hmmm...is that a redneck indicator?).


Because I really didn't want to sit down and play the game, but rather get down to business and figure this mystery out,
I removed the stack of cards,
put them in a cute little handmade pottery bowl
and set them on the table for supper time.



My kids are known for spotting any new item that comes into the house, and the cards were on the table no longer than 5 minutes before the fun began. 

You see, my kids were first introduced to Rednecks jokes at the local Cafe (Club Casmo) that has a daily Redneck calendar sitting at the check-out counter. Better than dessert to them is reading that days' Redneck joke and sharing it with the rest of the family.

As soon as they discovered the cards, we were on our way out of the house as usual, soooo the cards came with us. Hence, our new travel entertainment was born.

The cards go a little something like this:

"You might be a redneck if...

You use ____________ to do a French manicure."

. Sandpaper
. White-Out
. French Dressing

Seeeee? How resourceful is that?

1 pt towards redneck.

There it is!!!!

How about this one?

"You might be a redneck if...
You see a sign that says 'Just say no to crack,' and it reminds you to_______."

.Caulk the shower
.Fix the window in your kitchen
.Pull up your jeans

Our family prefers "Crack Kills" and we recently started our own collection of "plumber butt" pictures. YEP. I told ya we might be Rednecks.

ONE more for good measure.  Are you Redneck enough to get the answer right?

"You might be a redneck if....

You regularly answer the door in the your underwear, carrying a __________."

.40 oz.
.Baby
.Baseball Bat

Yes, he's guilty.  And here I thought it was a city-boy thing.

Ummmm, yeah. Nowwwww I get it.

How about you, are you or your Home-eez Rednecks?? Please tell me I'm not alone! Maybe I'll have to do a "You might be a Redneck if..." LINK-up.

Play-Doh Tools and Trivia

Play-Doh is ageless really. Who doesn't enjoy smooshing a little dough between their fingers once in awhile, shaping it into a pretend anything?

Did you know that in 2000, people voted for their favorite compound Play-Doh colors? The winners were: Rose Red, Blue Lagoon, Purple Paradise, and Garden Green.

I really do love that Play-Doh has branched out into colors besides the Primary Red, Blue, and Yellow.

I have to admit I've never been able to bring myself to buy one of the Play-Doh Playsets with all the bells and whistles. BUT, my daughter gravitates towards the bright, fun sets every time she has some spending money.

A couple of sets she has purchased include "Doctor Drill 'N Fill," (2000 Parent's Choice Award Winner), and more recently the "Birthday Set."

I have to say my daughter really does get a lot of use out of the Playsets, BUT something that has been more of a hit is the various mini kitchen tools I've picked up here and there at various thrift stores and flea markets (pictured below):

Pizza Cutter, Meat Tenderizer, Spatula, Stippler, Cookie cutter, Rolling Pin

I'm always looking for something to add to our Play-Doh/Clay Tub. Other favorites are scissors, butter knives, and pan scrapers.


I keep a Dish Pan Tub in our craft closet stocked with tools, dough, and clay so my kids can just grab the tub and bring it all to the table.

When they're done, it all goes back in the tub and back on the shelf.

When the tub starts getting too full to fit on the shelf, we purge dried up dough or tools that haven't been much of a hit for shaping dough.



We have made our own dough on various occasions and had a lot of fun coloring it and playing with the warm "clay." But I have to say, I REALLY enjoy the colors that Play-Doh has available and it really is pretty inexpensive to buy.

Kabs must have worked on this masterpiece for 45 minutes to an hour. The head is from the Play-dough Dentist set and the body is my Pampered Chef bowl turned upside down. Genius, I say!



Check out more fun activites on the Play-Doh official site.

Fresh Ideas complete with pictoral tutorial. Check out this blueberry pie HERE.
Color Mixing GuideHERE .
Plan a Play-Doh Birthday Party HERE.
Lesson Plans for Preschool through 3rd Grade. Check out this "Home is where your habitat is" Lesson, HERE.

How do you use Play-Doh, Homemade Dough, or Clay in your home?

No PhD Needed to Reach Out

An old friend of mine once told me I could have as many if not more opportunities to reach out to people without having a degree as I could if I pursued a degree in say, counseling.

I was one day away from enrolling as my babe and I listed out the pros and cons (something we always do when being faced with life-changing decisions) of taking classes while he finished his degree in Preaching and Evangelism.

It seemed that every wife on campus was picking up some classes, and it was the perfect time (living on campus and all).

As we listed the pros and cons, it became clear that pursuing a degree was just not at the top of God's priority list for us at that time.

My friend's encouraging words confirmed it in my soul.

Those timely spoken words have proven themselves time and again. Our family has had countless opportunities to "reach out" to many people who may never consider a visit to a counseling office in a conventional way.

We've never pursued adoption or foster parenting. I can't speak for my babe, but I attribute it to a "knowing" that we wouldn't meet the criteria any agency would expect of a family wanting to love a child. Maybe we wouldn't be able to handle the "stress" of home visits and psychological testing.

Don't get the wrong impression. Nothing weird is going on at our house, sometimes things are just a little emotional and chaotic.

I do lose my temper at times, expect my kids to fend for themselves when I'm engrossed in something, demand perfection at times, and just go a little crazy if the house is getting beyond nasty.

My husband gets a little grouchy when he has too much to think about, he expects respect, and is no-nonsense at times. I'm afraid these things might put us out of the running for "Family of the Year."

Regardless of what the rest of the world thinks, God has still found us worthy of helping along a few people here and there. For that I am thankful. Why wait for an agency or degree to dictate whether or not you can reach out? Use your home, talent, passion for each opportunity He brings your way.

We don't have a beautiful or large home, never have. But God has brought many people along who don't seem to care about having their own guestroom or own bathroom for that matter.

This week, we were blessed to have this beautiful girl stay with us while her mom got a little extra care.

post and picture published with permission of her mom
She was happy to sleep in the living room and pick up some chores with our kids. My daughter will always see her as a big sister now. They practiced pitching, played with playdough, and sang karaoke.

God took a worried little girl and put a smile on her face during the storm in her life. And He used an imperfect family to reach out and provide a refuge for her in their home.


Psalm 126:6

The Message (MSG)

...So those who went off with heavy hearts
will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

I'm linking up to "A Wise Woman Builds Her Home." Go check it out:

T-Shirt Refashion

My 9 year-old was inspired to try this simple T-Shirt Refashion originally brought to us by Innovative Sewing, who I follow on Twitter. The original tutorial was by CandyCaneCandace on YouTube. Thanks Candace for a great project!

My daughter, Katibree, bought 4 t-shirts for 50 cents a piece at a rummage sale a couple of weeks ago. She's a thrifty shopper!

Now introducing....Katibree Gets Creative {T-shirt Refashion}

Poodle Cut Before & After

One of our HOME-eez is our Poodle Schnauzer(?) aka Schnoodle aka Mutt. His name is "OSCAR" and he's a fabulous rescue dog.

We've searched for the perfect dog over the last few years, trying out several including
a Bulldog (he came with some aggressive behaviors),
a Weimaraner (came with seizures that eventually ended his life),
a Hound Dog (that ate a sock, a bird, and a marble the first and last day we had him),
a Maltepoo (that my mother-in-law decided to take back)
...and NOW--->OSCAR, who fell into our lives and won over our hearts when we decided to meet with him in the "Visiting Room" at the local Humane Society.

He came into our lives in February, freshly shaven and ready to love everyone in the family equally.

With summer here, we decided it was time to give him a fancy poodle cut. What do you think?



We think he is so incredibly handsome. They even gave him eyelashes (can't quite see them in the photos). Thanks to "Fancy Paws Pet Styling" for an amazing cut & groom! They sent us text pictures throughout the process. How thoughtful!

Bubba Logic: Celebrity Slang

This week's Bubba Logic from my 12-year old (aka Bubba):


This week's logic is more a language than logic. But it does make logical sense. He's been creating his own celebrity slang:

"Schwarzeneggers" aka "Shorts"

I need to put on some Schwarzeneggers for basketball practice.

"Shaquille O'Neill" aka "Shack"

I need to get some batteries at Radio Shaquille O'Neill.

"Keyshia" aka "Ketchup"

Please can you pass the Keyshia and mustard?

My HOME-eez are the coolest.

Bubba Logic Re: Army Operatives

This week's logic from my 12 year-old son (aka Bubba):

"The reason the Army National Guard is having some of their troops guard the weapons armory instead of helping with sandbagging for the flood waters that are coming is because they've probably seen the Scooby-Doo episode where the nerd guy is disquised as some kind of goblin and breaks into the armory and takes their rocket launchers."

Makes sense, right? That's my HOME-boy.
Leave me a comment if that at least got a little giggle out of you.