New Craft Storage!

I'm so excited about this! I got really tired of looking at the mess that is my crafty corner, so I'd been trying to find a good piece of furniture to fix it for ages. I just found one about a week ago, and Gary and I took yesterday to paint it up and move it into our home. It makes me so happy!

Here is what it used to look like:

This was taken after Gary removed the board games from the top shelf, which makes it look even more sad :( But now we have this:

Excuse the mess, that's all the stuff that I have yet to put into the cabinet. I found this old entertainment center at Palouse treasures for $30 and snapped it up, since it just looked perfect for what I needed. I didn't take a before picture of it, but you can see we didn't paint the bottom of it, so you can imagine the color if you want (that was just an oversight by us, it was standing up when we sanded so we forgot to do that part, and then we didn't want to get the sander back out. We're just lazy). I am really loving the color and the new hardware that we put on it! Now I just have to figure out how to get all of my junk in there. It may be time for a bit of a purge...

Sonogram Frame the Third

I was invited to another baby shower a few days ago, and I decided to make another sonogram frame like this one I made for my friend Emily, and this one that I made for myself.

I really enjoy making these things. I think they will be my go-to baby shower gift from now on. I like how I can personalize them too.

For instance, my friend Amanda already has a boy-child, so I put him into the frame too. Well, I guess I'll show the picture and you can see for yourselves.

It's a little different, and I'm not sure how much I like her leg sticking out there, but I'm not sure what else to do with it. Something I ought to think about if I make another like this. The frame is something Gary whipped up with leftovers from another frame he made for a piece of art we have had lying around for ages. I think the dark stain (I sanded and stained it myself!) makes the pink pop extra-well. I think I also need to work in my writing.

I think she'll like it though, and that's really what matters right?

Edit 8/17:

Never mind. I decided that I didn't like it after all, so I redid it.  I didn't have another sheet of paper the same color though, so I used orange instead of purple. I think I like the color better anyway. Here is what it looks like now:

I think it's a good change.

Poor Peri

So, poor Peri got her first really big owie today. She tried to run downhill on her stubby little legs. I tried to stop her but she's a sneaky and fast little devil. I made sure it wasn't bad, and then couldn't resist taking a picture, because oh boy does it ever look nasty.

Let me make this extra large for you all so you will never get the image out of your head.

A couple things I'd like to make clear. She is only bleeding from her forehead (not her nose or her hands or arm or leg). I did check really good to make sure her pupils were dilating and all that. It is a really really small (but deeper than skin deep) gash on her forehead. She was pretty happy to see the camera, so I'm guessing it didn't hurt that much.

They aren't kidding when they say head wounds always bleed a lot.

On the bright side, she looks darn cute with a bandaid.

Now we'll just have to see if she knows better next time she goes out.

Simplify my life!

That kind of sounds like some reality show doesn't it? "Hi, my name is Naomi Jackson, and I want you to Simplify My Life!!!" (said at the very end of the sob story application video). You all can see it right?

Anyways, moving on. I've been reading a blog by a cute blogger named Kelly (she has the most adorable twins). She blogs at The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking and has a lot of fun things and good points to make. I've been reading that blog, but this post isn't about that blog. It's about her second blog that she started recently The Year of Less.

Let me tell you now, it is the. most. awesome. idea. anyone has had yet. She and her family have decided not to buy into the idea that more stuff=more happiness. How cool is that? Not only has she and her family renounced this idea, they are actually doing something about it! That is really the coolest part.

 I struggle with this all the time. I think about it. I moan about it. Sometimes it makes me sick. But I still think a lot of the time that someday when I can buy this thing, or that thing, or be able to do whatever thing I want to do at that moment, I'll finally be happy. Even though I also know deep down inside me that all of that isn't a bit true. Suffice to say, I have very conflicting feelings. I go from wanting more stuff to being happy with what I have in the blink of an eye.

There is another bit about this blog that is even better. Kelly and her family are Christians, and she believes that her stuff is getting in the way of being a good Christian. She says it better in the About Us portion of her blog. As a Christian, and as a Mormon, I know that she is absolutely right.

I keep wanting more things, but what I really want--what I really need-- is to make my life more centered on Christ.

I really want to simplify my life just like Kelly is, by getting rid of things and whatnot, but what I really think I need to do is center my life first, and then perhaps the rest will fall into place.

To that end, Gary and I have committed to a "spiritual schedule" if you will. We wake up every morning and say our personal prayers. Then we go out to the living room and before anything else, we do our personal scripture study. Before Gary goes to work we kneel down and have a family prayer to send him off. When Gary comes home from work, after dinner or while dinner is cooking, we have family scripture study with Peri. When dinner is on the table, we have a blessing on the food. When Peri goes to bed, at the end of her bedtime routine, we have family prayer, and whoever is putting her to bed says her personal prayer with her. When we go to bed we remind each other to say our own personal prayers too.

Since we came up with this schedule, we've been sticking too it fairly well. Sometimes we forget to have family prayer before Gary leaves in the morning, and sometimes we forget to have family scripture study at dinner time. Everything else is going well though, and I think once we get into the swing of things, we'll remember those two things more often too.

I still want to get rid of a bunch of things though. And actually I have decluttered a little bit here and there. Right now we're working on a better solution to the crafty corner. It is a disaster right now, but it's the only place we have for that stuff.

Anyway, whoever reads this should totally go check out Kelly's blogs, because they are tres delightful! Onward to simplifying our lives!