Very Important Post! Please Read.

Ladies, I am so very excited to tell you that my blog is moving!

The wonderful and amazing, Darcy, from Graphically Designing, has created my new blog home.

My new address is beneathmyheart.net.

Isn’t that cool?

You can click on my new button below, and it will take you to my new blog.

Please, please, please, be sure to change my blog address in your dashboard, blogroll, etc.

I would just cry if I lost even one of my precious readers! I’m serious about that, girls.

Now come on over and see me!

Traci

Wednesdays with Wanda

Sorry for the delay in today’s post.

I was up to after midnight last night talking to the amazing Darcy, from Graphically Designing, about my switch over to Wordpress.  She gave me a great training session on how to use it.

I am hoping to make the BIG MOVE by Friday.  I can’t wait for you to see my new blog design!  :)

So I had to go to work this morning and this is the first chance I have had to post.

I started writing a post about how yesterday marked the ninth month of Mom’s passing.  I wrote about how much has happened since she passed away… and then that deep pain of loss began rising to the surface again.

And it hurt. 

Bad.

To be honest, I sometimes just try not to “go there”. 

You know what I mean?

I try no to “go” to that painful place where the realization that I will never see my mom again here on earth lies.

Or the place where I realize I will never hear her sweet voice or feel her loving hugs again.

Or the place where I get angry with God about why He allowed this to happen.

Have you ever been “there” before?

It’s a very painful place, and honestly, I have been avoiding it.

But I know it’s a place I need to “go” to soon.

And I need to stay there a while.

And I will have to endure the hurt and the loss.

And I will need to cry. 

A lot.

But today, I’m not going “there”.

I need to smile and laugh.

And Mom would be so glad I did.

I found a document in her computer files that made me laugh because it is so “Mom”.

She loved cute little quotes and sayings.

So for fun, I want to share this one with you.

 

Good Stuff to Know

1.  God wants spiritual fruit…not religious nuts.

2.  Dear God, I have a problem…it’s Me.

3.  Growing old is inevitable…growing UP is optional.

4.  There is no key to happiness…the door is always open.

5.  Silence is often misinterpreted but never misquoted.

6.  Do the math…count your blessings.

7.  Faith is the ability not to panic.

8.  Laugh everyday…it’s like inner jogging.

9.  If you worry, you didn’t pray…if you pray, don’t worry.

10.  As a child of God, prayer is like calling home everyday.

11.  Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.

12.  A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.

13.  The most important “things” in your house are the people.

14.  When we get tangled up in our problems, be still.  God wants us to be still, so He can untangle the knot.

Thanks, Mom, for still making me smile!

And thank YOU for letting me share the thoughts …

Beneath My Heart.

Traci

Thinking of Pillows…

Well, ya’ll know I don’t have a lot of time for projects right now.

But I am trying to get some ideas for my next project…

PILLOWS!

I need pillows for my back patio furniture.

I am going to purchase some red seat cushions for my table and chairs.

But I am wanting to make some throw pillows for the chairs and swing.

I am thinking of making some pillows out of white duck canvas with a burlap ruffle.  Maybe?

And I am also thinking of stenciling some birds or numbers on the pillows.

That’s why I bookmarked this adorable blog!!!

It had some tutorials for some pillows that I absolutely loved and I think you will too.  So I wanted to share them with you.

Suzanne is the creator of these beauties!  She is so very talented!

Just take a look and you will agree…

 

 

 

 

Aren’t these pillows adorable?!!!

Suzanne sells her pillows and other adorable items at her Etsy shop.

But what I love about her most is that she shares how to make each of these pillows on her blog.  Isn’t she sweet?

Click on her button below to go check her blog for yourself, and be sure to tell her who sent you!    (No I am not getting paid for this post.)  :)

Have a blessed day!

Traci

Easiest pillows I have ever made!

Hey ladies!

You may or may not have noticed that I haven’t been posting as much lately.

I had mentioned last week that I have started a new job for the summer.

Many of you have asked what I am doing, so let me explain…

My brother-in-law is the pastor of a Baptist Church about 30 minutes from where I live.

They have a Child Care facility that was in need of an Interim Director just for the summer, and they asked if I would be willing to fill in.

For those of you who don’t know me personally, I have my Masters in Elementary Education.  But since my first son, Jonathan, was born, I have been a stay at home Mom. 

During the past 10 years, I have done a few other things while waiting to go back to teaching. 

I owned and directed my own child care facility about 7 years ago.  It was called Cross My Heart Preschool and Child Care.

I have also been teaching preschool and music two days a week at a Mom’s Day Out program at a local church for many years.  My boys were there with me, and it gave me a chance to get out of the house.  :)

So I have a lot of experience with childcare and wanted to help out my BIL’s church during this transition time.

However, the adjustment to working everyday has not been easy. 

On the days that I work at the child care center, I am having to get the boys up early and leave the house by 6:45 am to be at work by 7:30 am.  I work all day until 6:00 p.m. and then travel 30 minutes back home.

So my summer schedule is M,W,F-Childcare center, T,Th- Mom’s Day Out.

Not much time to do any projects for my home or blog.

Which doesn’t make me much of a happy camper!

So what does all this have to do with pillows?!!!

Well, I did manage to squeeze in my schedule some pillow making for the childcare center.

A couple of weeks ago, this is what you would see when you entered the child care center…

Well, actually, you would see two black metal chairs on each side of the table.  I moved these rocking chairs over here from the other side of the room…

I was trying to make the entryway to the center a little more welcoming.  So I decided the rocking chairs needed some pillows!

Red gingham pillows to be exact!  I absolutely LOVE red gingham!

It just so happened that I had five minutes one evening last week to run into Goodwill.

Oh my dear Goodwill, how I miss my carefree hours each day with thee!!!

These red gingham chair covers immediately caught my eye.

I began to wonder if I could use the material to make some pillows?

Each chair cover was $2.50, so I bought two.  (Wish I had bought all four now.)

Here is why these were the easiest pillows I have ever made:

I took a pillow form that I already had and stuffed it up the top part of the chair cover.

Yep!  Just stuffed her right in there!

Three sides of the pillow were already made!!!

I just cut the bottom off straight across…

Tucked the raw edges inside and pinned the two sides together…

Then I took a needle and thread to “slip stitch” the last side together.

Done!

I finished both of these pillows in like 15 minutes!

And they are exactly what I needed for the center.

I also bought this old picture from Goodwill too.  It was $4.50.

The frame was hideous!  But the painting was actually kind of pretty. 

But I had other plans for it.

I used my white spray paint and chalkboard spray paint to make a chalkboard for my “welcome” center.

(I am assuming that almost everyone in blogland knows how to make a chalkboard, but if you don’t, let me know and I will post the instructions.)  :)

I got the flowers at Walmart for 6 bucks.  (I think I will have to get a placemat for that table, but isn’t that table adorable?!)

Now this is what you see when you enter the center…a little better, don’t ya think?  (Sorry it’s a little blurry.)

The basket underneath the table is from my son, Eli’s, room.  I filled it with some children’s books for the kids to look at while I am helping their parents.

Now I would still like to maybe get a lamp or something for the table, but we’ll see…

I am hoping to finally have some time in the evenings, (now that baseball is over), to make some pillows and finish decorating my back porch. 

I’ll be sure to post about it when I do!

Hope you are all doing well.  I’ve missed you bunches!

Blessings!

Traci

This post is sponsored by…

Wednesdays with Wanda

Have a blessed day!

Traci

Saturday Sponsor Spotlight

I have been enjoying highlighting my sponsors today!

Next up, Amanda, from Queen Bee Designs!

She is one of the 5 jewelry designers that sponsor my blog.

And the thing I love most is how each sponsor has their own unique style!

This is evident in many of Amanda’s designs.

I wanted to highlight a few for you…

a beautiful charm bracelet…

“have faith”…

 

“Life is not measure by the breaths we take . . . but by the moments that take our breath away…”

Aren’t Amanda’s Designs beautiful?

Click on the button to view even more!

Blessings,

Traci

Saturday Sponsor Spotlight

Today I have been featuring my fabulous sponsors.

Their talent amazes and inspires me!

Like Dee, from Red Letter Words.

She has taken treasures from the Bible and turned them into beautiful artwork.

Here are a few I wanted to highlight…

 

 

And here is her June Print of the Month (on sale now)…

If you want to see more of Dee’s beautiful artwork, just click on the button below.

Blessings,

Traci

Saturday Sponsor Spotlight

I have the most wonderful sponsors ever!!

My next sponsor is one that I have personally enjoyed getting to know in blog world.

Leen, the Graphics Queen.

She is a wonderful person and has a wonderful business.

Her online store holds a wealth of vinyl wall decals to choose from.

I want to take a second to highlight a few for you!

If you are a person who likes flowers or trees, then Leen’s is your gal!

Check these out…

 

Or do you need some wall art for your child’s room?

I absolutely LOVE these Nature Numbers!  They come in a ton of colors…

Do you love monograms as much as I do? 

These are beautiful…

Like I said, Leen has a huge selection of designs. 

Click on the button below to go browse around her online store.

You will be glad you did!

Blessings,

Traci

Saturday Sponsor Spotlight

Today I am taking the time to highlight my fabulous sponsors!

I am so thankful to them for sponsoring my little blog.    They are each so full of talent!

Next up is Kristi from Just Simply Southern.

Kristi makes the most adorable magnetic frames!

They make it easy for you to change your pictures in and out, so you can continually display your new pictures.

Here are some pictures of her beautiful frames…

Click on the button below to go visit Kristi’s online shop and see all of her wonderful creations!

Blessings,

Traci