March Madness {Nesting Time Style}

I have enjoyed so many of the

creative and inspiring 

projects I've seen in blogland this month,

so I thought it would be fun to 

document some of them in this little post of mine.

I'm not really into watching basketball

at this time in my life

{though I was somewhat of a baller back in my day, haha}

so for me, March Madness is all about craftiness.

Enjoy the following great ideas.

I hope they inspire you as they have me!

First up, this cute springy art from Jen at Tatertots and Jello

Umm, kinda jealous that these curtains are homemade,

with NO sewing involved! Wish I would have thought of this!

{your best beautiful blog}

Friends, pretty sure it doesn't get much more creative

than this wall art made of T.P. rolls

{Bon Temps beignet}

I LOVE this mudroom makeover...

I am dreaming up something similar for our entryway...

{counting our blessings}

I had to show this burlap wall art...

clearly it was made with me in mind,

seeing as how it features my last initial and all!

I love it, and I might have to make it!

{i heart my glue gun}

I've been seeing lots of silverware art.

I like it.

{Signal Hill Interiors}

My eyes are starting to droop,

so I'm going to have to call it a night.

These six projects are only the tip of the creative iceberg

but I don't have time to show ALL of the

projects I love.

In other news... we paid off our car today!

Yippeee!!! One less payment to make each month,

one less debt on our plate!
Progress is progress.

Now... do we use the money that we were paying on the car

to save for when my car dies and we need a new one (I've had it since high school!)?

Or,

do we continue with the debt snowball 

and apply that extra money we were paying on the car

toward our next smallest debt, which would be a school loan?

Hmmm... any advice?

Happy nesting peeps!

{After all, it is Easter season :) }

Spring Wreath {Tales from Craft Night Part 2}

Thursday night was another edition of 

Craft Night!

I am LOVING this concept.

Food, crafts, and fun girls = a great time!
Suprisingly, we got so into what we were doing
that we barely touched any of the food... not typical (for me at least!).

This month, the craft at hand was a spring wreath.

We used the wreath that I had shown in this post as inspiration.

Also, my sister-in-law had made an adorable

wreath as well that we looked at. And, another great wreath 

to get ideas from is found here.

Here are some pictures of our evening:

{Lovely ladies Victoria and Erin}

 {More lovelies, Amy and my sister Erin}

 {Victoria and me... excuse the glaring glare}

 {Erin and her finished product}

{Wah la... my finished wreath hanging on my front door!}

Now I have Monday night to look forward to...
I was invited to a tutu making party! Yay!

Oh, and if you live near me and would like to know
when the next Craft Night will be, let me know... we'd love to have you!

{Linking to Tatortots and Jello}

Happy nesting everyone!

The Name Game

I don't know about you,

but I can't help but give my child nicknames.

I mean, LOTS of nicknames.

The poor thing is probably so confused at this point

as to what her name really is.

As a way of remembering all of these nicknames,

I thought I'd do a little posty post about them.

After reading this:

You may think I'm silly. You may think I'm weird.

You would be right.

So here goes, my current nicknames for Claire:

1. Claire bug

She's little, like a bug.

This one isn't too complicated.

2. Sunshine girl

She smiles a lot, which brightens my days.

Hence, she's my little sunshine girl.

3. Pickle

I think my sister started this one.

Pretty sure she calls all little kids this.

Sometimes I add a little something special

and call her "pickle juice."

4. Smiley Cyrus

This one started when she was pretty small,

just a few months old.

She was smiling one day, and it just sort of rolled off my tongue.

5. Claire bear

It rhymes. That simple.

6. Sister

Or any variation of this- sis, sissy, etc.

This is to practice for the day she becomes a sister I guess.

Or, in case she decides to become a nun.

Also, I used to call my dog Sophie this because she was black and white

and did remind me of a nun.

And since Sophie was cute, and so is Claire... it just happened.

7. Justin

This is reserved for when she has a stinky diaper.

(Told you... silly and wierd)

Here's the story behind this:

Remember the movie Hope Floats starring Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr.?

Well in that movie, Harry Connick's character is named Justin Matisse.

And there is a line in the movie where the little girl says something like

"You stink Justin Matisse!"

Therefore, when Claire has a stinky diaper, she stinks.

And then I think of that line in the movie, and I call her Justin.

End of story.

I believe that concludes my current list of nicknames for my little Justin.

Haha. Justin might be favorite right now.

In closing... here is a silly picture of Claire.

(She takes after her silly mom I think)

Awkward/Awesome Thursday, Nesting Time style

So, many of you may have read my sister's

FABULOUS 

Awkward/Awesome Thursday posts, 

and if you haven't, you probably should {click here}.

She will make you laugh your pants off

{so you might not want to read her blog in public}.

Anyway, lately I have found myself recognizing

the awkwardness of life, mostly because

of Erin's posts I'm sure.
{Erin- you are my awkward and awesome mentor.}

Really, if you know me, you probably wouldn't be

surprised that awkwardness abounds

in my life.

So, without further ado, here are some 

awkward and awesome

happenings from my life:

AWKWARD:

1. PDA (public displays of affection). More specifically, PDA in church. 

I can deal with a little back scratching or maybe an arm

around a waist or shoulder, but beyond that and it is just plain awkward.

Case in point: I was at a worship concert last weekend, and I glance

to my right, and what do I see?

You guessed it, one of the most awkward PDAs I've seen to date.

A girl worshipping with her arm in the air, as her guy

is basically doing a standing spoon with her, if that makes sense.

People, keep such intimate moments for the privacy of your

own home. That's my opinion at least.

Oh so awkward.

{Have you seen the recent Valentine's Day episode of The Office?

You probably should. It. was. funny.
In an excruciatingly awkward sort of way.}

2. While at the same said concert, I encountered a second awkward moment.

This might be hard to describe, but have you ever witnessed

someone around you say or do something that you know

they didn't intend for anyone else to see, but then they see

that you were watching them the whole time?

Last weekend one of the songs we sang was called "Beautiful One" 

and though it is meant  to be directed toward God, a husband turned to his wife

and sang it to her and they kind of giggled and acted all giddy about it.

Kinda cute, I know.

Accept, I was accidentally staring at them through this whole process

and the husband glanced back and saw that I had been watching them.

Ooops.

We exchanged an awkward glance and then made sure never

to lock eyes again the remainder of the night.

3. Wardrobe malfunctions. I had a major one of these this week.

It all started when I accidentally wore my tank top backward.

I didn't realize this until I got to school.

I start my day off at an elementary school, where, as the counselor,

I visit classrooms to give guidance lessons to the students.

On this particular day I was visiting a 3rd grade classroom 

to do a lesson on "good touch, bad touch" no less.

{This is pretty awkward in and of itself}

Well, part way through the lesson

{AS I'M STANDING IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE CLASS TALKING}

I glance down to find that, not only is my tank on backward, 

but the little taggie is flipped up

drawing attention to an area that I don't particularly

care to draw attention too, especially in this setting!

I tried to nonchalantly flip the tag back down

and act like nothing happened.

Pretty sure everyone noticed.

What can ya do?

P.S. I was wearing more than a tank top; the tank top was the under layer

of my ensemble and only a small part of the tank was exposed, in case you were concerned.

4. Trying to buy a fountain diet Mountain Dew at the gas station

with no money.

Yes, this happened to me today in fact.

I went to pay for this styrofoam cup o' delight,

but when the cashier said "That will be $0.95"

I reached into by bag to find.... no wallet.

GULP.

"Umm... I forgot my money."

'What am I, a 10 year old?' I thought to myself.

Luckily, the cashier was super awesome and said, 

"No big deal, just pay the next time. You come in all the time"

Great, I've become a regular at a gas station convenience store.

I am one health nut, I tell ya.

But, I was so thankful for his graciousness. 

I will be sure to pay next time... assuming I remember my money :)

5. Me, around members of the male race, when I was in high school.

Maybe it's because I had no brothers.

Maybe it's because I was scared.

I don't really know.

All I know, is that I did some pretty awkward things.

For instance, my friends and I thought we were really cool

and we would drive around town

near the movie theater and a popular restaurant where kids

often hung out on weekends.

On one such evening, some members of the male race

pulled up next to us and said, "What are you girls up to?"

 I decided to be the spokesperson.

{Why? I do not know.}

My response:

"Oh, we're just driving around aimlessly."

There, was that that awkward?

I didn't think so.... but apparently my friends did.

And that's when it's scary... when you are awkward and you don't even know it.

"Chels! Why did you say that?"

"Well, because it's true." I reasoned.

Apparently not the smooth response my friends were

wanting to give.

Ha, too bad for them :)

6. Dialing someone's number to call them,
but forgetting who it is that you are calling mid-ring.
Tell me this has happened to you too.
Usually it goes something like this:
Do de doo... waiting for the person I'm calling to pick up.
Wait a minute... who was it that I'm calling again?
Panic.
Please let me recognize their voice, please let me recognize their voice.
Person answers:
"Hello?"
Me: "Uhh, hi! (as if I know exactly who I'm talking to) Umm... who is this?"
Other person, in confused tone: "Well you called me..."
Yeah, definitely awkward.
Fortunately I think this has only happened so far when I've been
calling a friend or family member.
It actually happened to me yesterday at school.
I needed to call Wes, so I dial his number.
As it is ringing, my mind jumped ahead to the next item on my to do list
which was to call a student's home.
So Wes answers his phone, and I say "Hi, Giovanni?"
{Note: this name has been changed to protect the innocent}
"What?!?! Hahahahahaha"
This is what I hear on the other end.
At first, I was very confused... then I remember I had been calling Wes,
not "Giovanni."
Ooops. And it happened again.
Some might say I'm absent-minded.
I say, my brain is too pre-occupied with the important
things of life to remember the silly details
like who I'm calling on the phone,
or where I put my keys.

AWESOME:

1. Earlier I mentioned that I went to a worship concert

last weekend.

Well the concert was none other than Jeremy Camp.

I love this guy (not like that people, come on).

If you have never heard of him, you should check him out.

His first album is still my favorite.

He wrote most of the songs after his first wife

died of cancer. 

His faith and honesty is so inspiring and encouraging.

Also, his heart and love for God 

seems to be very real and genuine.

Wes got to attend a worship workshop before the concert,

and he too agreed that he has an awesome heart.

{Check out this video of one of my fav of Jeremy's songs, Walk by Faith}

2. IKEA. I went there last weekend as well.

{Let me tell you, it was one busy weekend!}

My mom organized a bus trip there, and so early Saturday morning,

off we went!

I LOVE this store.

I bought a lot for a new home office/craft space I'm creating

in our basement (pics to come).

There are soo many great items to help get your home

organized, and, because the store is set up

with actual decorated rooms

you can find so many great decorating ideas.

I already can't wait to go back!

3.  Claire's one year check up.

She is very healthy, and the doc was impressed

with her development 

(aka her skillz.)

 (It's my blog, I can say skillz if I want).

Now, I don't want to be one of those parents

who brags about their kids all the time.

But, it was very reassuring to hear

that she is on track and doing well!

4. The B.E.A.U-tiful weather that has arrived!

Oh how happy it makes me!

Claire and I took a little walk this evening,

and tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer.

My heartrate literally increases

as I think about the fact that warmer temps are upon us

and we can begin taking lots of walks,

going on bike rides,

introducing Claire to swings, and grass, and nature.

Oh, and did I mention the longer daylight hours?

YAY!!!

5. Me, doing the robot.
Believe me... awesome.
You may or may not be able to see this phenomenon
at my middle school's upcoming
Family Fun Night.
Or, you can just catch it on YouTube.
Pretty sure it will be the next internet sensation.

6. Spring break.

It's only two and a half weeks away!

A full week to catch up around the house,

hang out with Wes and Claire,

maybe do a little home project or two...

awesome.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this first attempt at an awkward/awesome post.

I'm not sure if it will be something I do regularly, or just when the 

mood strikes. Most likely it will be second option.

Thanks for reading,

and

happy nesting!

Top 10 reasons that I read the Bible

This year, Wes and I accepted my grandpa's

challenge to us to read through the whole Bible.

(Actually, following the plan that he gave us,

we'll be reading the Old Testament once, the New Testament twice,

Psalms twice, and Proverbs 12 times)

Reading the Bible faithfully has always been a struggle of mine.

But, as I have plugged along doing my daily readings 

each day of the year so far 

{I won't lie... I'm 5 days behind right now so I have missed a day here and there... what can I say, I'm not perfect!}

I have discovered some pretty wonderful changes in my life.

Below you will find the TOP 10 reasons

that I am so glad to be reading my Bible consistently.

10. I have many interesting and exotic name options for our next child

 {Wes likes Abilene... I'm not so sure about this}. 

9. I am setting an example for my daughter. Monkey see, monkey do (hopefully!)

8. God has an opportunity to correct me. Yes, I admit it... I mess up.

Sometimes I need a slap in the face (or at least a gentle swat).

7. It keeps my life in perspective. 

Love God, love others.
Our life on earth is only a short blink in comparison to eternity.
This is what really matters.

(Wait? You mean there's more to life

than work, cleaning, cooking, stuff, TV, etc.?)

6. It gives me wisdom. I am able to discern God's perspective

on situations, rather than relying on my owned

skewed viewpoint.

5. My insecurity is shrinking! 

Knowing God's word= know God= know my value.

More and more, I do not have to rely on 

what others think about me to evaluate my worth.

4. In turn, my confidence in who I am and my faith in who God is,

is Growing!

3. It produces fruit in my life. 

I don't claim to be the most 

loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, generous, and controlled person out there... 

but I do see these fruits coming out more in my life since I've been in the Word daily.

2. It transforms me into a better

wife, mother, daughter, friend, counselor.

And now, for the #1 reason I read my Bible...

1.  It draws me closer to God! Simple.

If my relationship with Jesus is the most important part of me,

I should probably put time and energy into it!

This life is so short in the grand scheme of eternity,

and I pray I don't waste it.

"... a person does not live by eating bread alone, but by everything the Lord says."
(Deut. 8:3)

Be blessed... read the Bible :)

Edit: So since I've posted this, I've thought of about 12 more fabulous reasons that I read my Bible.
Clearly, this list is not at all exhaustive! I'd LOVE to hear from you lovelies about why YOU read the Bible or what YOU love about God's Word. Please comment with your thoughts... who knows, maybe I'll do a follow-up post with all of your thoughts featured!

Happy nesting!

The song in my heart

Some days, God seems to stick a song in my heart.

Often, this happens when I'm feeling

extra joyful

or 

extra fearful

or

when I'm just driving to work and a song just touches my spirit.

I LOVE when this happens!

I love how God uses music to stir our emotions,

to inspire us,

to reflect on our human struggles,

but also to fix our gaze on Him and His perfect ways.

There are so many songs that I love and that I could share

so I decided to add a playlist to my blog.
Scroll to the bottom and have a listen to a few songs that I currently love!
I hope to update my playlist as I discover
new songs that I'd like to share.

I hope it blesses you today!
Happy nesting!

"Our Little Sunshine" Themed Birthday Party

Since I know you have all been on the edge of your seats

dying to see pictures of the decorations from our little Claire's

"Our Little Sunshine" party we had yesterday,

I will keep you in suspense no longer :).

But first, play this little song to help set the mood!

Like I mentioned before, I am a sucker for party themes,

so I LOVE the Hostess with the Mostess blog!

{You should probably check it out if, like me, 

little details like name tags for food items

cause your heart to beat a little bit faster because of 

how cute they look.}

It was at this blog where I found this party, 

which was the inspiration for Claire's little shindig.

So, without further ado, here are the pics from 

Claire's party:

{The spread with a "Happy Birthday Claire" banner}

{I got the tissue paper pom poms from a friend, but you can learn how to make them here} 

{Claire's smash cake + my first attempt at fondant... let's just say I'm no cake boss}

(Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting Cupcakes)

{Goldfish crackers in the bowl- gotta stick with the theme you know!}

{LemonHeads and Orange slices candy}

{Part of the spread}

{The ol' cover the water bottle labels with scrapbook paper trick}

{Banner with a picture from every month of Claire's life so far}

{Lemonade stand}

{Another view of the table}

During the party, I played songs that went along with the theme.

Here was the playlist I used:

Ain't No Sunshine by Al Jarreau

Walking on Sunshine by Jump5

Sunrise by Brandon Heath

Soak Up the Sun by Sheryl Crow

Sittin' in the Sun by Louis Armstrong

You Are My Sunshine by Norman Blake

Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles

The only real supplies I used (aside from the food, plates, napkins)

were scrapbook paper and ribbon for the banners I made, 

some glitter-covered die cut letters I found at Michaels (also for the banners),

a white, yellow, and orange artificial daisy,

a yellow plastic tablecloth,

and a few paper doilies.

As I mentioned, I got the tissue pom poms from a friend,

but had I made them myself I also would have needed tissue paper for those.

That's it people... not too bad!

I had a lot of fun planning this party...

and now I get to start thinking about what to do next year!

Because, as I discovered this past year,

the years are going to FLY by!

Thanks for reading, and happy nesting!

Party Time!

Even though Claire doesn't officially turn one until Wednesday,

today was Claire's 

1st birthday party!

We had a great time celebrating

Claire's first year of life,

and taking time to think about

what a joy and a blessing she is to us.

The theme of her party was 

"Our Little Sunshine"

{What can I say, I'm a sucker for themes! Even in high school,

I once threw an "Under the Sea" themed dinner party, ha}

I'll share more photos of the party details in a later post,

but for now, here are some of my favorite shots from the day.

{The birthday girl}

{In her party hat- thanks Aunt Rebecca for those!}

{Playing with her tambourine... future percussionist like daddy?}

{She loved her new talking dog}

{Grandpa being... himself :). Love you dad!}

{Hmm... this seems kind of tasty...}

{Yep. Definitely tasty!}

{Wes and I with our birthday girl}

Claire- You are such a gift to us!

Your mommy and daddy love you more than you know,

and we look forward to many more birthday celebrations for you

as we watch you grow into the little lady

that God created you to be!

Happy nesting!

Hair bow holder {Tales from craft night}

Last night was craft night

with my friend Becky and my sister Erin.

We laughed, we cried (or maybe that was just baby Jocelyn),
we burned ourselves with hot glue.
Most importantly, we ate mozzerella cheese sticks.
In the end, we made these:

They are holders for our little girls' hair clips.
I know I've been needing something like this for a long time,
so I'm glad to finally have a cute holder
to keep these little guys organized.

Here is a closer view of the one I made:

It was super duper easy!
I just painted my wooden frame (5 cents at a garage sale!).
Then, I made a fabric rosette and little leaves out of felt to embellish the frame.
Finally, I hot glued the ribbon strips to the back of the frame.
There you have it!

Becky's did hers a little differently:

This one has a cardboard backing covered in fabric,
so her clips have a fun, decorative background!
I love it too!

Here's how Becky made hers:

 First, she hot-glued a piece of fabric onto a cardboard piece that fit inside her frame.

Then, she hot-glued ribbon pieces on, attaching on the back of the fabric-covered cardboard.

Next we did this.

And finally, we did this.

And, wah-la!

Wall art + hair clip holder!
I love multi-tasking!

{I realize that this project was so easy
that it really didn't require a step by step tutorial,
but we took the pics so I figured I'd go with it.}

Happy nesting!