IT "CENTS" TO ME FOR MONDAY - JANUARY 5th

Hello everyone and Happy Monday,

How are you all today?  I am doing well. The crazy busy holiday season at work has slowed down some. Although, there's still some mess that we're trying to clean up from that. I also have inventory coming up at the end of this week. That means I will literally be working from 9 p.m. on Friday until 6 a.m. on Saturday counting things.  I'll be super tired....but then I won't have to work again till the following Monday.

Okay, so one of my BIG goals for this year is create a home management binder that I can record all my finances, goals etc. I really need to get my budget under control this year. I don't overspend. I always live within my means, but I'm not a good saver. So I'm getting better at that this year. Plus, my BIG BIG goal is to really make a dent in paying off my student loans.

It may take me awhile, but once I pay off student loans and my car, I'll be completely and totally 100% debt free :)  I'll be blogging about that more specifically soon, because it's on my heart to do that as a way to motivate myself, keep myself accountable and hopefully encourage others that no matter where you're at financially, there is always something you can do, even if it's just a small step (like using a cash envelope system) to improve your financial situation.

Why am I doing this?  I want to be able to give big and to give without hesitation and participate in ministry opportunities as they come up. I can't do much of that, because of this financial burden that hangs over me...but also, I just don't like having that weight on my shoulders.

I am a fan of Dave Ramsey. Click here to go to his website or click here to go to his page on Facebook. I don't even remember how I first heard about him. It's been quite a few years now, but I do remember somehow getting a copy of the book "The Total Money Makeover" and it changed my life and set me on a path of working towards being completely and totally debt free. 

I suppose everyone has to make their own choices and for me, this is the right path to follow and it hasn't been easy.  I stopped using credit cards in 2003 and finally paid off all of my credit card debt in 2007. That's another story for another time, too...but wow, it was HARD WORK...but oh so worth it, because when I sent in that final check and paid it all off, a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders and I felt so free. 

I'll show you all a few pictures of my home management binder in just a moment, but two other websites that have been so helpful and encouraging to me are The Budget Mama and Money Saving Mom.  I'm not married, nor am I a mother, BUT I have found these sites along with quite a few others to be invaluable and so encouraging in my journey towards being a better steward of my money and towards getting out of debt once and for all.  If you do visit either page, please tell the nice ladies there that I sent you :) :)

I've always had some sort of planner in the past but I never really used them. However, I have found the desire to keep a written record of my finances and just being organized, in general, to be really helpful in keeping myself on track, creating more time in my day etc.

I needed a new planner, but I couldn't afford to pay the cost for a new one and certainly not even one of those really fancy ones that come in PDF format, where you can print out whatever pages you want. Although they are fantastic and worth every penny, in my opinion. My heart's desire this year is to live as frugally as possible and only spend money when I absolutely have to. Fortunately for me, I did find a couple of sites that offered some free, very basic but extremely useful printables which I promptly downloaded and printed out. 

The only one I actually paid for was a really basic, but extremely useful home management binder from Sheri Graham called The Intentional Planner. A one year subscription only costs me $5 and I can download all the files for this year that I want. It's designed for someone who is a homeschooling parent, but many of the categories are useful for anyone, including finances, setting goals, blogging, daily and monthly calendars etc.

This is what the front of my planner looks like. I was able to edit the PDF file and call it "Heather's Home Companion".  I reused a pink three-ring binder that I received from a women's Bible study a few years ago and probably saved myself at least $5 by doing that instead of buying a new one.

I have the daily and monthly pages located in the front of the binder. I like having an entire day on a page AND having an entire month at a glance spread out over two pages. I like having an entire day on a page, so I have lots of space for writing out details of my day, what I spent, goals, memory verse or  whatever else I need to keep track of. Having a month spread out over two pages is also helpful for me, because I like to write down when my bills are due and when I get paid. It helps to have a literal visual, so I know exactly what bills need to come out of which paycheck.



 

I haven't settled on which day on a page style I like yet. So I'm using the one from the Intentional Planner and also one that was a free download from Ann Voskamp's website "A Holy Experience" As soon as I find the link for the latter, I'll come back and post it here.  I don't need anything overcomplicated. This is easy, practical and it's got a bit of beauty added which is always a plus :)  I actually forgot I had these. It was fun to find these again.

 

Also, as part of my goal of keeping  a record of my finances, goals etc. I am also keeping track of things I'm thankful for each year. I am participating in the Joy Dare / Count 1,000 Gifts over at Ann Voskamp's site "A Holy Experience" The easiest way to find out more about that is to click here and visit her page on Facebook or here to visit the page that goes with the book "One Thousand Gifts". 

It's so important to me to remind myself to be grateful for all of the blessings that God has given me - big and small and to remember to find joy even in the most ordinary of things. So I've been participating in the Joy Dare as much as possible, and writing down things I'm thankful for - anything that makes me smile, laugh etc. 

I also happened to find this printout that a lady in my church Bible study printed on her home computer a long time ago. It's a monthly challenge to write down at least one thing that we're thankful for everyday. It's also from Ann Voskamp's website "A Holy Experience" .  I don't know if this particular download is available any longer, but I sure am glad that I didn't throw it out. 

This is what the inside looks like. As it happens, I have January in front, so I better get started. I've been faithful to keep up with each day's Joy Dare, but I don't think you can ever be too thankful for things or to seek joy in the everyday things of life. Take it all and look back at the end of the year and say "Wow, God really has done a lot. I have a blessed life" :) :) :)

That's a good start for now. As I start using my "home companion" a little bit more, I'll let you know how it's working out. I'll give you a review at the beginning of February, plus maybe a few more sneak peaks into how I like to organize my single life on paper. 

That brings up a random thought.  I am single and have never been married.  One of my dreams is to be a wife and mother, but it all has to happen in God's timing, because He knows best and He clearly knows how to give the best gifts, Amen? :) :) :) So while I'm waiting for that, there's nothing that says I can't work on my homemaking skills right now.

I'm not just talking about cooking and sewing etc...but also really incorporating faith into every aspect of my life and how I decorate my home etc. One of my heart's desire's is to make whatever place I call home, a real place of hospitality - biblical hospitality. I'm not even sure how to define that other than I know it's more than just about the "stuff" It's about people. I want my home to be a place where people feel welcomes and encouraged and that they leave happier than when the arrived at my door.

Oh, the wheels of ideas are spinning. I need to get all of my ideas down on paper. God is so creative and He's created us with creative minds and talents to use to love on and serve others and for His glory :) :)

Alrighty, friends,  that is the news from the ocean shores of California today.

Extra love and hugs for the New Year,

Heather

p.s. I also participate in a fun daily photo challenge with the nice ladies over at Middle Places.  Click here to visit their blog. I found this group purely by chance while looking for a fun daily photo challenge to participate in. It has turned out to be such a delightful group of women bloggers. I'd encourage you to check it out.

FANCY BEAUTIFUL CASH-ENVELOPE SYSTEM WALLET

Hi everyone :) :) :)

How are you tonight? I was going to wait until Monday to share this. Then I decided to post this tonight. I work in retail and tomorrow is going to be a very L-O-N-G day.  I'll be working for a full 9 hours.  

One of the things that I'll be ressurecting again are my "It makes "cents" to me Friday" posts.  One of my BIG goals is to be completely and 100% debt free.  So I'll probably be blogging about that at some point. However, I'll also be talking about how I live as a single person on a very tight budget, how I get by etc...and it's mostly to keep myself accoutable by making it public....but hopefully it'll encourage you all, too. No matter what your financial situation is, there is always something you can do, even if it's just one small step. The point is that you are trying :) :) :) At least, that's how I look at it right now.

I'll be sharing links to various blogs that I follow that have encouraged me in my debt-free journey and learning how to manage my time and resources better.

One thing that I am learning to do is use a cash envelope system for various spending categories.  It's something I first heard about when I read Dave Ramsey's book "The Total Money Makeover" and "Financial Peace University" You can click on the link here to visit his website.  He's pretty hard core with his financial advice, BUT it's all with the goal to give you financial freedom....and so I find it very encouraging for me. Plus, I love listening to all the testimonials of people who've become debt free. It encourages me that it's possible for me to achieve the same goal.

Here's a photo of the cash envelope wallet that I got when I took a Financial Peace University Class last April. The blue one came in my kit. The burgundy one was gifted to me by my aunt. 

The cash envelopes always include a little info on how to use them.  What's great is that you can choose the categories you want to create and I find the idea of budget for various categories is so smart. It will hopefully keep you from overspending.

Plus, it includes a little spending log where you can record every time you spend money from a certain category. The idea being that you'll always know what you have available and once the money is gone, you don't spend anymore in that area, until you have a chance to put more money back into that particular spending category.

Now there's a really cool blog/Facebook page that I follow called "A Time for Everything" You can click here to find Melissa's page on Facebook.

She makes some amazing cash divider wallets that are compatible with the Dave Ramsey cash envelope system. They're super functional and super cute.  I purchased her "carry it all" divider wallet. I waited an entire year before I purchased mine last January.  Click here for a description of what this wallet does. 

This is what my wallet looks like.  Melissa offers different, really fun and beautiful fabric pattern combinations.

  





















I also purchased the downloadable PDF file to print out my own spending logs to go inside my wallet.  It was only a few dollars and so worth it. I just printed out some color sheets and I've got a manilla envelope that I'll paste it on before I put them into my wallet. I'll save that little project for another blog post.

   





















This wallet comes with two divider sections, a place to put coins and it also holds my checkbook, too :) :) I've had this wallet for quite some time and never used it much until recently. So it's a discipline, for sure, but it's one that I'm going to get into the regular habit of doing everyday.

The reason is because I've got a super tight budget.  so if I don't designate different spending categories, I won't be able to afford anything. I also just recently started a new job position at work that also included a raise. That's been a huge blessing, but I still want to make it a point to live within my means.  It's been difficult, but oh so worth it.  

I'm just doing the best I can to manage my money in a biblical way, while recognizing that I need to give myself a lot of grace and forgiveness and extend that to others who are dealing with struggles in this area.  I know that I have my own financial struggles of 1) how will I pay off my student loans once and for all 2) and still manage to help my dad and 3) find a place for us to live in September 2015. 

So that's where I guess an element of faith and trust steps in. I'm doing my best with what I have right now to manage my money God's way.  At the same time, I recognize that I'm having to trust God to provide in those areas when the time comes, and not worry about it, because that's in the future and all I can do is concern myself with today. Believe me, God gives us enough grace for this day. Then tomorrow, He'll give us the grace we need to get through tomorrow, including with budgeting struggles and challenges :) :) :)  There's more I could say about this, but it's late on a Sunday night and I'm mega tired :) :)

Well, I guess that's good enough for now. I'll be talking more about this in the future. I just wanted to introduce you to my cool fancy functional cash divider wallet :) :) :)

I'm still trying to figure out what spending categories I want to use my cash envelope wallet for specifically.  One thing I have to budget for is haircuts and getting my hair colored. I don't do either very often because of the expense, but it's still something I need. So that's one category that I budget for. I also budget for gas for my car.

Do you use a cash enevelope system or some other sort of budgeting system? If yes, what categories do you budget for?  I'd love to know what you do.

That is the news from the ocean shores of California today.  

Love and hugs,  Heather :) :) :)     

FEBRUARY'S JOY DARE FOR FEBRUARY 9, 2012

Update:  I haven't been able to leave comments on some blogs. It's only the Blogger blogs that require a word verification, in order to leave a comment. I think it's just  a glitch. It should work itself out on its own. However, if you have trouble leaving a comment on my blog, would you please let me know? Thanks!!!

Hi everyone,

This is a surprise post.  I was at a women's Bible study last Tuesday. One of the ladies there had printed out Ann Voskamps "A Year of Graces" from her site A Holy Experience. Click here if you would like to visit. She also printed a copy of January's Joy Dare, even though we're in February :) :) So when I went home I printed out the Joy Dare for February. I've decided that one of the things I want to foster this year is an attitude of gratitude for the small and big things.  Each day is filled with different things to look for. Today is:

"3 gifts that were surprises - unexpected grace":

The first surprise was receiving this beautiful card with a quilted teacup on the front from my sweet friend Dorothy. Click here if you'd like to visit her blog, Notes from Mémère.  I love all things vintage, including quilts.

The second surprise came when I opened the card.  There was a lovely bag of Scripture tea.  I won't open it till I'm ready to drink it. When I do, I'll let you know what Scripture verse is on the tag:

The third unexpected surprise came when I saw what was on the back of the card. This made it even more special, because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE vintage things.  When I saw that this was a repurposed quilt, I immediately wondered about the person who lovingly put the fabric pieces together. Now I have a piece of that quilt, an unexpected blessing:

These are the unexpected gifts that I've found today...so far.  I just had to share this with you all right away. I couldn't wait.

Tomorrow I'll be sharing about what I spent this week.  I think I might of went a little overboard, but it's all a learning process.  There was one item that I stocked up on.....well, actually it was two items. More on that tomorrow, too.

That's the news from the ocean shores of California today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

GIVEAWAY WINNER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi everyone,

Okay, we have a winner for my first ever giveaway.  Here's how I picked the winner.  I couldn't figure out the Random.org site, so I just wrote out a paper slip for each individual entry on my giveaway post. It was easy since there were only five entries.  All the slips of paper were the same size, and had each comment's name written on a seperate slip of paper. I folded them over, so I couldn't see the names.  This morning I grabbed those slips of paper, closed my eyes, and just shuffled for a couple of minutes. Then I picked one...and the winner is?

Wanda Lee :) :)

She has two blogs. Click here or here if you'd like to visit. She hosts some awesome tea parties every Tuesday...real tea with beautiful china :)

Here's what she said about the giveaway:
"What an amazing contest with this fabulous software. I would love to win this also!.., I am a follower as well."

Wanda Lee, please send me a private email.  I'll make sure you get the code to download your free copy of this software ;) :) It's a lot of fun :)

Thanks EVERYONE for participating in my giveaway :) :)  It was fun.  I think I've caught the "give-away" bug now...so I'll see about hosting some more of these giveaways :) :)

That's the news from the ocean shores of the California coast for today.  Love and hugs, Heather :) :) :)

SPIRITUAL SUNDAY

Hi everyone,

How has your week been? Mine has been really good, and full of some ups and downs.  More on that at the end of this post.  Here's the link to Week Three and Four of the Girl Talk 2011 series. This is part of the  Virtue for Women series for the summer from Harvest Church. Click here to view the videos.  There are so many good topics. Right now I'm  listening to the videos in the background while I'm working on my blog :) :) Later today or tomorrow, I'll actually watch the videos and take some notes. The topics range from  friendship and fitness to biblical perspectives on food. There's so much goodness here.

DAD AND I WENT OUT TO THE AIRPORT TO LOOK AT PLANES. IT IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO SEE SOME TAKE-OFFS AND LANDINGS. IT'S  JUST AMAZING.

Dad and I went out for a small drive this morning. He loves airplanes, so we went out to see what we could see today :) :) Plus, this is our favorite  viewing spot.  This old tree has probably been around for a very LONG time, a long time before this airport was even built.  It's so gnarly and old..I wonder what kind of stories it would have to tell.

My sweet friend Linda wrote about the latest happenings in the process of her son and daughter-in-love adopting Vitaliy from the Ukraine.  Click here to read about it in Linda's post. Also her daughter-in-love Tonya has a precious blog called Come Rest At His Table.  She's selling some really super cute pendants to help raise money to bring Vitaliy home. Please pay her a visit. If you feel led, consider buying some of  her pendants. They are really cute and the money is going to a great, great thing :) :) :)

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE COFFEE SPOTS. HERE IN THE NORTHWEST OF THE UNITED STATES, THERE ARE A LOT OF DRIVE-THRU COFFEE STANDS. WHY? WELL, IMAGINE A REALLY COLD WINTER....WOULD YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF YOUR CAR? NO. IT'S NICE TO HAVE  SOMEONE HAND YOU  NICE, WARM COFFEE THROUGH YOUR CAR WINDOW.

After we watched airplanes, my dad took me to The  Human Bean.  I love this coffee spot. The coffee is great, the baristas are really nice AND....here's the best part, they have treats for dogs. So it's really funny to watch, because anytime a car pulls into the drive-thru that has dogs...well, the dogs really start becoming really animated. They KNOW that there are doggie treats to be had here :) :) It's sweet ;) :)

DID YOU KNOW THAT TIRES MAKE GREAT CONTAINERS FOR HOLDING GROCERIES? YES, IT'S TRUE....(INSERT SMILE AND LAUGH HERE)

God has been so good to my dad and I...always.  We are going through a time of transition right now.    First, I'll tell you about the tire.  A really sweet couple in our church paid for four BRAND NEW tires for our car. The tires that were on the car before were starting to wear really thin. In fact, so thin, that we could no longer drive on the freeway/highway, because we were afraid the tires would shred.  So it was only driving on surface streets. In any case, we were able to get four nice, new tires. What a gift. Tires aren't cheap.  Now we feel safe to drive on any type of roadway.  After the mechanic was done changing the tires, my father asked to keep one of the old tires.  My father kept the "best" of the old, used tires as an emergency spare. We just put it in the trunk of the car. Well, here's where the funny blessing comes in, because later that day we went to the grocery store.  We put the groceries in the trunk, saw the big, used tire and had the idea to use it to keep the groceries all in one place. So the moral of the story is that not only is it good to have an emergency spare tire, it also makes a great container for groceries ;) :) :) It keeps the groceries from rolling all over the trunk of the car ;) :) Isn't this just the most hysterically funny thing ever? I think so :) :)

THIS IS ONE OF MANY, OLD BUILDINGS IN  JACKSONVILLE, OREGON.  DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THE OLD ADVERTISEMENTS PAINTED ON THE BRICK WALLS? IT IS SO VINTAGE COOL.

Okay, so back to the time of transition that my father and I are going through right now.  As many of you know, my father and I have both been unemployed for some time now. We finally came to the point about a week ago, where we needed to make a decision to stay in Oregon or move in with my aunt (my dad's sister) in California.  So we've been praying about it for awhile.  We even shared the prayer request with the elders of our church, since they were meeting at our house last Sunday.  We thought we had an opportunity for a place to live, that would have been perfect for our financial situation. It was a  gorgeous place and we  were grateful for the offer and excited about the possibilites that God could make happen here.  That was earlier this week. Well, we continued to pray...always in prayer, that God will guide our every decision and give us wisdom.

Yesterday, it appears that God really shut the door for us.  I won't go into more details, simply because it's not the time to share too much. However, we were praying...and God has at this time clearly shut the door to this particular living situation. So as of now, it appears that God is closing that door and opening up the door to move in with my aunt. She's a really neat lady and has been more than gracious/helpful towards us :) :) We are so thankful.  So unless God changes our direction again, we will be moving back to California most likely sometime in August. 

SOME PRETTY FLOWERS IN  JACKSONVILLE, OREGON.

I know this post might sound really random today. All this to say, that sometimes life is boring and slow. Then sometimes, stuff comes at you all at once from every direction.  Trust God because He is faithful and He always keeps His promises. Sometimes life is doing absolutely nothing. It's totally quiet, boring and still. You're in a season of waiting. Then God tells you to "Go"....be ready to go :) :) Again, trust God because He is faithful. He always keeps  His promises. 

So in this time of transition, keep us in prayer. Right now, we are planning on moving back to California, unless God clearly shuts the door.  You know when God shuts one door,  He  ALWAYS opens another door. That is for sure. When God opens a  door, nobody can shut it. When God closes a  door, no one can open it.  As things progress, I'll keep you updated.  Right now we'll be starting to pack boxes and get rid of anything we don't need. My plan is to sell some items on Craigslist and/or have a yard sale.

SEGWAY OF JACKSONVILLE IS A  NEAT LITTLE BUSINESS. CLICK HERE TO  VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AND FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION.

That is about all for today :):) :) Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and a  really great week.  That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)     



                                                                                                                                                                                         

MY 8TH & 9TH "BUILDING OUR HOMES TOGETHER" FOR JULY 27TH

I'M PARTICIPATING IN THE "BUILDING OUR HOMES TOGETHER WITH JESUS" SERIES OVER AT THE PRAIRIE FLOWER FARM. CLICK HERE TO VISIT AND TELL LINDA THAT I SAID HELLO.

I AM ALSO PARTICIPATING IN "HEARTS 4 HOME" OVER AT "OUR SIMPLE COUNTRY LIFE". YOU CAN CLICK HERE TO VISIT OR CLICK ON THE BUTTON ON MY RIGHT SIDEBAR.

Hi everyone,
Oh, it feels good to be back to blogging. I think I've been away for a little over a week. If you read my  last post, you know there has been a little bit going on. Not just for me, but for so many of my church family and friends. So much has been going on, it seems unreal. So I missed last week's "Building Our Homes Together" series last week. In any case, it's been quite the week and month. So much I don't understand, but God is faithful. That much is for certain :) :)

So here's my entry for today. These are reusable cotton rounds:

My sweet blogger friend, Nicole, over at My Mad World  posted these recently on her blog. These are reusable cotton rounds. They're about the same size as the cotton rounds you buy at the store to remove mascara and other cosmetics.  So I made some of my own. There's a site called Ravelry, which is a wonderful resource for all things crafty, especially knitting and crochet. You can click here to view the pattern for yourself. My Ravelry friend Heidi Bringhurst wrote up this super cute and super easy pattern.  You do need to create an account in order to view their patterns. Some are for sale. some are free. This pattern is free. It's also free to register and I highly recommend it, especially if you do a lot of needlework. Otherwise, I'll copy the pattern here. This is NOT my pattern, this pattern is written out by Heidi Bringhurst. I copied it here for you because she explains things so well:

Materials



Size G (US 6 [4mm]) Crochet Hook


1/10 oz.(≈ ¼ yd) Worsted Wt. Cotton Yarn


Abbreviations & Explanations


st = stitch


rep = repeat


rd = round


yo = yarn over


ch = chain


sc = single crochet


dc = double crochet


bs = bean stitch

Bean Stitch: Insert hook in desired base st, yo, pull through base st (2 loops on hook, as in sc). YO, insert in same base st, yo, pull through base st (as in dc. You now have 4 loops on hook). YO, insert in same base st, yo, pull through base st (6 loops on hook). YO once & pull through all 6 loops on hook. Ch 1 to finish st.

sl st = slip stitch


ea = each


Pattern


Base: DO NOT slipknot onto hook. You are going to make a “Magic Ring” (Google for a variety of photo and video tutorials):


Make a hoop about 1 ½” in diameter with your beginning yarn, with the tail behind the working yarn, and leaving a fairly long tail beyond what’s involved in the hoop (I like to leave a good 6” at the beginning of every project, anyway).


With your crochet hook, draw the working yarn through the hoop, so you have one loop on the hook.


Ch 3. This counts as 1st dc for rd.


Dc 8 more in hoop, making sure to crochet over tail in ea st.


Untangle tail from hoop, if it has curled around it, and pull to close ring. Your ring should look like a circle with a pie slice cut out. If it doesn’t, make sure you crocheted over tail properly. If you didn’t, you’ll have to unravel and try again. If you did, the yarn probably just got a little hung up on itself. Some cottons do that. Just shift the stitches on the hoop with your fingers until it looks right, making sure to keep the “drawstring” (tail) pulled tight.


Sl st in 1st Dc of rd to close circle.


Rd 1: Ch 2. Bs in same dc as sl st. Ch 1.


*Bs in next dc, ch 1,* rep * to* to end of rd. (9 total bs ch 1 sets, incl. that in same dc as sl st, above)


Sl st in ch 2 space at beginning of rd.


Rd 2: Ch 2. Sc in ea ch and ch space (including top st of bs) around. (27 sc)


Sl st in ch 2 space at beginning of rd.


Ch 1, fasten off, weave in ends.


That’s it! Enjoy.
 
Thank you, Heidi, for making this pattern available for free. Not only is it super cute, it's super practical and a great way to save extra money.  You may want to wash the cotton rounds before you use them.  I used a Size H crochet hook, so my reusable cotton rounds came out a bit lacier than Heidi's version. The next batch will be made with the proper crochet hook :) :) :)
 
Here's the link to Week Two of the Girl Talk 2011 series over at the Virtue for Women site, sponsored by Harvest Church. Click here to view the Week Two sessions. This week is SO good...there's a really nice message about women and finances, plus other things that includes a really neat fashion show, how to use the produce from your garden and making your own baby food...all really great topics. I'll include the link here to the session about women and finances. There are some super simple and practical ideas:


So,  that is what I've got for you today.  There is lots of fun and practical advice.  Let me know what you think.  Have a great day.  That's the news from Oregon today.  Love and hugs, Heather :)

MEDIA MONDAY

Hi everyone,
How have you been doing?  This past week has been one of the most difficult of my life. Oh, my family is okay, just nothing that I  am liberty to talk about...other than our church has been going through some difficult things this month. We'll be okay, because God is faithful. That is for certain:):)

Here is the link up for this week's Media Monday series from the Women Living Well blog. It's about  media and children. Since I don't have kids, I'd love to know what your thoughts are.

Sorry this post is so short today. I'll be up and going again on Wednesday for the next Building Our Homes Together series          over at Prairie Flower Farm...

That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)
                                                

MEDIA MONDAY - WEEK THREE

THIS IS JUST A TYPICAL  STREET  HERE IN MY  HOMETOWN.  

Hi everyone,
How was your weekend ?   My weekend was pretty    good.  I'm behind on my crafting.  So I won't be  spending that much time on my blog or  on Facebook today.   
Today is Week Three in the "Media Monday" series over at the Women Living Well site. Click here to visit this week's link. It's about media and our spouses.

Now, I am NOT married. I'm still single, so I have absolutely no street credit when it  comes to talking about this subject. However, there is one point that  I can identify with and that is spending so much time with  technology, that you don't spend time wth your loved ones.  

As  most of you know, my dad and I share an apartment.  It saves on expenses. Plus, my dad and I get along, so at this season in my life, there is no reason to live in seperate places. Also, my dad and I very much have our own lives. That's  a good thing and very important.  Well, I was beginning to notice, that the computer was taking up a lot of time, in my life and my dad's life.  So  much so, that we'd cook breakfast,  and my dad would take his upstairs      while he was working on the computer. I'd be left to sit downstairs by myself . Sometimes I was the one who had breakfast upstairs.

Long story short, it was really starting to  get on my nerves and make me  sad. We are not so busy that we can't turn off the technology at least during mealtimes. We all have the same amount of time in the day.  If our loved ones  really are the most important, do we  show it? So my dad and I agreed that we would  eat together. No computers, no nothing. It's been working out great.   We talk more. Dad tells many more silly jokes. It's really nice :)  :)   

Again, as Courtney points out  in her post, technology is a-moral. It's what we do with it, that it could be used for good or bad.  I think anything that starts to detract too heavily from personal interactions with other people can be too much.  So at least for me and my little home, we'll not be using the computer during mealtimes ;) :)     

MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER'S OLD SHOP SCALE, WITH SOME ADDED LACE AND A VINTAGE-LOOKING PIGGY BANK : :) :)

 That's about it for today.  The weather has been really cloudy and in the 70s the last few days. It's been a welcome relief from the heat.  I know so many people need rain.  I'm praying for rain and lots of it.

I've got a lot on my mind today..or so it seems.   This post is shorter than usual.  Knitting and crocheting are on my list of things to do today.  Oh, I have this craving for a nice juicy cheeseburger, today. Not sure if I'll actually get one, but I still want to eat one :)  :)    Have a  really great  Monday everyone.   That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)                               

SPIRITUAL SUNDAY - ANYONE INTERESTED IN AN ON-LINE GROUP BIBLE STUDY?

THIS PHOTO IS  COURTESY OF LEAON OVER AT  SHABBY OLDE POTTING SHED. CLICK HERE TO PAY HER A VISIT :)

Hi everyone,

How has your week been going so far? Mine has been really good. It's also been a heavy week, too. It seems like there was one specific day earlier this week. It was a day of lifting up lots and lots of prayers. This is what I said on my Facebook page about that:

Yesterday (Thursday) was a really "heavy" day for so many of my friends. It seemed like prayer requests were being lifted up left and right. Prayers were flying to heaven so fast, that I could have used it as an air conditioner :) :) Seriously, as I was reflecting on yesterday, this song popped into head. This encapsulates PERFECTLY how I felt ( I'll post the link to the song in just a moment" )

Prayer is given and when anyone asks me to pray for them, whether friend, family or "stranger", I pray..That's just a given.  I was just wishing I could comfort everyone. It wasn't possible for me, but it IS possible for God :) :) With HIM all things are possible :) :)  Here's the song I thought of (referring to my Facebook post) that I thought perfectly describes how I f elt that day and about anything I don't understand:



Newsboys has been a favorite band of mine ever since I was in high school. I actually saw this particular concert in 2008...not live, I wish...NOpe, rather I saw the concert after it had been recorded and made available on DVD. Here are the lyrics to the song:

You are the author of knowledge.
You can redeem what's been done.
You hold the present and all that's to come
Until Your everlasting kingdom.

Lord, I don't know where all this is going
Or how it all works out.
Lead me to peace that is past understanding,
A peace beyond all doubt.

You are the God of tomorrow,
Turning darkness to dawn,
Lifting the hopeless with hope to go on.
You are the rock of all salvation.

Lord, I don't know where all this is going,
Or how it all works out.
Lead me to peace that is past understanding,
A peace beyond all doubt.

Oh, Lord You are the author,
Redeeming what's been done.
You hold us in the present,
And all that is to come.

Lord, we don't know where all this is going,
Or how it all works out.
Lead me to peace that is past understanding,
A peace beyond all doubt.

 THERE'S NO PARTICULAR REASON FOR THIS PHOTO. THIS IS MY LITTLE VINTAGE PIGGY BANK. I NAMED IT "JASPER" YES, SOMETIMES I GIVE NAMES TO OBJECTS. I AM LITERALLY SAVING ALL MY PENNIES IN HERE FOR A RAINY DAY.

One of the things I'm going to start doing soon is posting links to the women's Bible study  at Harvest Church.  Greg Laurie is the pastor. Click here to visit the church's website.  All of their messages are available to watch LIVE online or archived. They have a WONDERFUL women's ministry called Virtue for Women. Click here to visit that website or you can view the video below and get an idea of what it's about:




It really is a great site for Bible study, food, faith, crafts, recipes etc. I've been really blessed by it. They'll be doing a Bible study this year that will studying some of the Psalms.
                                                                                                                                                Psalms. So I'm really looking forward to that. When you browse around the Virtue for Women site, there are links to past Bible studies. Everything is archived, plus the studies come with downloadable PDF files with notes/questions for inductive and deductive Bible study, whichever you are best suited for when reading/studying your Bible :) It's really neat ladies. They always post the videos online about a week after the actual study. So as soon as they're available, I'll post the links here.


There's also a summer series that they do called GIRL TALK. Here's the link to view the video sessions from Week One. I especially liked Jeanine Hardgrave who had some really cool, economical party and gift ideas. It's everything from studying the Word to crafts, tips etc...everything that is of interest to us as women both practical and spiritual. Here's a little video about the GIRL TALK 2011 series:


That's about all I can think of today. I know.....that's a LOT..but God has put a lot on my heart. So please let me if you'd like to participate with me.  It will be lots of fun.  It will be even more fun, if some of you would like to join me here every Sunday.  That's the news from Oregon today.  Love and hugs, Heather :) :) :)  

MY SIXTH "BUILDING OUR HOMES" TOGETHER FOR THURSDAY - JULY 7TH

 I'M PARTICIPATING IN THE "BUILDING OUR HOMES TOGETHER...WITH JESUS" SERIES OVER AT PRAIRIE FLOWER FARM. IF YOU LIKE TO PARTICIPATE OR JUST PAY A NICE, FRIENDLY VISIT, CLICK HERE.  I ALWAYS ENJOY SPENDING TIME AT THE FARM. 

Hi everyone,

How has your week been so far? Mine has been good .  I'll talk some more about that at the end of this post.  I'm feeling especially crafty today. In truth, I'm feeling "especially crafty" EVERY day :) :)  Today, I thought I'd share a really cute, easy crocheted flag pattern with you.  I'm making up a bunch of these. It's fun, easy and quick.  You can make one in a day...actually way less than that, but I haven't actually timed it. I'm just enjoying this.

  THIS IS WHAT'S ON MY MIND TODAY. OH, AND YES, THIS IS MY DINING ROOM TABLE. DO I USE IT FOR DINING? NO. IT'S A CRAFT TABLE NOW ;) :)  IN THE FOREGROUND IS THE CURRENT CROCHETED FLAG TABLE MAT THAT I'M WORKING ON.   I'LL BE EXPLAINING ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER STUFF YOU SEE HERE, TOO  IF I FORGET, JUST LEAVE ME A COMMENT, AND I'LL RESPOND.

I found this pattern on the "Create and Decorate - The Blog" site. If you click on the title it will take you to the pattern. You can find the instructions there, if you'd like to crochet a flag for yourself. Let me tell you, I'm a beginning crocheter, and it's an easy pattern to follow, even with the three different colors. Oh, check out the "Create & Decorate" magazine, too. Here's the link to their website. If you click on the magazine tab, there's info there if you want to subscribe. I have been subscribing to this magazine for awhile now. It's FULL of really cute projects.

 In the background of the above photo, you'll see my Human Bean coffee granita cup with Hershey's syrup sitting on top of a flag that I crocheted. The mats aren't big, but just the right size to act as a mat for your cups and maybe a small plate of snacks. It's fun.  We have enough patriotic holidays in this country, that you could use these multiple times a year, or everyday, especially if you like Americana. I'm starting  to really LOVE it ;) :)

 THIS IS THE FLAG MAT THAT I'M CURRENTLY WORKING ON.   IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE, IT'S  SO ADDICTING AND FUN, THAT I LOSE TRACK OF TIME. I KEEP TELLING MYSELF "I'LL JUST CROCHET ONE MORE ROW". AN HOUR LATER, IT'S TIME FOR BED ;) :) :)

 I used different colors than what the pattern called for. In addition to that, I used a different brand of cotton yarn. The pattern calls for Lily's Sugar N' Cream yarn. I purchased Lion Brand cotton yarn instead for two reasons: 1) I didn't have enough gas to drive across town to Joann's Fabric store to purchase the yarn 2) My local Fred Meyer store is much closer. They have Lion Brand cotton yarn. It was on sale, I get more yarn, and it works great for this sort of project, too. 
            This pattern is especially nice, because you can manipulate it in different ways. Just have some fun with it.  Here are the yarns I used. I'll just post the photos, since the information on there will be self-explanatory if you have any questions. I tend to like the darker colors, or jewel-toned colors. The reason I chose these colors in particular, was because that is what was available at the store at the time. I would have preferred a slightly darker red, but this works great:







Those are the yarns that I'm using for this project.  The yarn is really sturdy and it's knits/crochets up wonderfully. It's also 100 % cotton, so it's perfect for household projects that you might be working on, too.

These are a few of the extra supplies that I'm using:

I like to use an old-school wooden ruler with the metal blade to measure my work.  It's consistent meauring every time. It won't stretch out like a flexible measuring tape is wont to do.  A good pair of scissors are handy for cutting yarn, when it comes time for that. Oh, yeah, a crochet hook is helpful when making a crocheted flag... hee hee hee :) :) This particular crochet hook is a Size H8 - US / 5 MM.   Depending on your yarn choice and which size crochet hook you use, your flags may come out different that mine. That's perfectly okay. If you like your project and it makes you smile, it's good.

THIS IS WHAT I ACTUALLY BOUGHT WHEN I FINALLY MADE IT TO JOANN'S FABRIC STORE.  I LOVE LILY'S SUGAR 'N CREAM YARN. IT'S FUN. THEY DO NEED TO MAKE SOME MORE JEWEL-TONED DARKER COLORS. HOWEVER, THE CURRENT SELECTION IS ALSO REALLY NICE. 

This will be turned into a different project, which I'll probably share with you next week :) :)  It knits up in really nice red, white and blue stripes. Oh, tip, save the labels from these skeins of yarn. They always include a free pattern. You can save them and maybe print them out for your own personal pattern book.  It's a great reference source for gift ideas.


THIS IS THE BACK LABEL ON THE YARN, IF YOU NEED IT FOR INFORMATION.  IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, THIS PARTICULAR LABEL INCLUDES A PATTERN FOR MAKING YOUR OWN PLACEMATS.

 So that's what I'm up to today.  I've been keeping up with my devotions.  It really does make a HUGE difference in my day. It keeps me sane and really puts a focus and direction on my day :) :) :)  
            I had errands to run yesterday and today. Yesterday, I was really complaining about having to leave the house. I do like going out, but yesterday, I just wanted to stay home. However, there are things in life that HAVE to be done, including paying bills etc ;) :)  Well, the errands went much more smoothly than I had anticipated. It was a gorgeous day. Everything went so FAST. 
            Today I had some errands to run. I had to get money out of the bank to pay rent.   That went really smoothly, too. So now I'm home and working on my craft projects and enjoying the air conditioning. Summer is officially here in Oregon. It's in the 90s  today...and it's HOT.  So I'm staying indoors and keeping as many lights off as I can. It helps to keep things cooler :) :) Oh, I think I need a nice iced tea right about  NOW :) :)
            Oh, I almost forgot, here's a close-up photo of Linda Stubb's Americana flag fabric. You can find this at Joann's fabric. It's a gorgeous fabric. It's Americana, it's vintage. I purchased two yards of this fabric. I'm not sure what I' ll make with it, yet. It's so pretty, that I just keep looking at it. Click here to visit Prairie Flower Farm and Linda. She's the fabulous lady who designed this fabric.

            Thanks for visiting me. Oh, yes, welcome to the new followers. I'm so happy you are here. Feel free to leave a comment and say hello :) :)  That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :) :) :)