A little bird.

I bought this little guy at a thrift store a few weeks ago for 25 cents.  A buy like this is a steal to me!  I loved him and just thought he needed a facelift.  Although I do recognize that other people may never spend a dime on a knick-knack like this.

So, I gathered my paints and brushes and decided to get to work.

And this was my finished product.  He is now sitting on our window sill above the sink.  This project made me so happy today.  For me, it's the little things in life! :)

DIY scarf organizer.

It has turned into DIY week!

Many of my friends and family members know that I love wearing scarves, especially this time of the year.  When my neck is warm, my whole body temperature seems to increase...Has anyone else noticed this?!  Along with warmth, scarves add much needed style to my wardrobe!
Because of my love for scarves, I have accumulated many scarves over the years from family and friends who give me wonderful souvenirs from different places.

A lady can NEVER have too many scarves!

My husband, however, would disagree from an organizational stand point.  I used to have all my scarves folded up in a bag on our closet floor.  Not the most convenient and tidy storage idea.  I know some of my friends store their scarves crumpled in a bedroom dresser, which takes up a lot of space.

So, I found this idea on Pinterest and thought I would share it on our blog.  Josh and I agree that this means of storage has been MUCH better!  I apologize ahead of time for the poor photo quality.  I didn't have the greatest lighting, but these will do.

First, you will need an extra hanger from your closet and some shower curtain rings.  I bought these from Target for about $1.00.  It is important to get circular rings that clasp together like the ones below.

Next, fasten the rings around the hanger.

Then, you can hang your scarf collection from the rings so they are easy to see and find!
I ended up using two hangers in order to organize all my scarves.  If you have a sturdier (not plastic) hanger, then you may be able to get away with only using one hanger.  Make sure to use plenty of scarves to cover the entire hanger in order to prevent the scarves from sliding to one side.

Hope this is helpful!  I loved this organization tip and I spent about $1!

Here are some other ideas that I found for those who are willing to spend more money to get their scarves organized.

Scarf Hanger from IKEA...Brilliant!  $7.99

Tie & Belt Hanger from Target $12.59

DIY vintage sign.

I have been waiting on the state board of nursing to issue my license number.  I need that number before I can start working, so the delay has been quite a disappointing surprise.  I have been studying my class notes from this past year and being a house wife these days.  But, I still can enjoy a little free time while I have it!  So, in celebration of the free time, I thought I would do some crafting and write my first DIY post.

A vintage style sign.

You'll want to start with a piece of wood or a plaque.  I used a $0.50 thrift store find and just painted it black.  It isn't perfect, but it'll do the job.

Next, figure out what you want your sign to say.  Sooo many options here.  I am making the sign as a gift for a friend.  I want her to be reminded that she can "plant seeds" wherever she goes in life if she is connected to Christ.  Print out whatever you want your sign to say in the appropriate size.

Next, with a pencil, shade on the back side of the letters.

You'll then want to position your lettering onto the sign and tape it down.

Next, with a ball point pen, trace around the outline of your letters. You'll want to press pretty hard so it shows up.  Because of the pencil shading on the back side, it'll transfer the outline in pencil right onto your wood!

Next, I took a paint marker and filled in the lettering. If you want a clean solid look you'll need to do a couple coats of this. For my purposes, though, I was going to sand and distress it anyway, so it definitely did not have to be perfect.

Next, I let the letters dry really well and sanded it quite a bit to "distress" the lettering and make it look old.  I used 220 grade sandpaper.  I then took a wet paper towel and wiped up the dust to clean it up before the final step.

Finally, I gave it two generous coats of Mod Podge. This will seal it and give it a little shine, but you can do it in a matte finish as well. (Michaels is offering 50% coupons on their website.)  Either way, it'll give it a finished look.

Once dry, your sign is done!

So I'm sure there are better, easier ways to do this, especially if you have the right tools, but this cost less than $5 to make. I can't wait to make more as gifts!  Enjoy!

Welcoming Fall.

Fall has been my favorite season since I was young for many reasons. 

I love when the air changes from humid to crisp, prompting the use of sweatshirts and scarves.  When the leaves on the trees turn red, yellow, and orange, I can’t help but think about how beautiful it is (even if it is just a lack of photosynthesis and chlorophyll).  Also, hot apple cider and ANY baked pumpkin treat are especially tasty during these Fall months. 

We took some time to decorate our house to celebrate the change of season.  It is fun having time around the house to do projects like these!  

Pumpkins!

I carved a pumpkin to make a pot for our mum.

Pumpkin seeds from carving...Yum!

Fall wreath.  I made new felt flowers and added some berries.

Close up.

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins...Oh my, so good!

Kidron.

Josh and I recently visited Ohio to spend time with his extended family.  His cousin, Emilie, had found a kitten along the road in a ditch the week before our visit.  She told a long, pitiful tale about the roadside rescue and her parents graciously offered to “find him a good home.”  I ate it up, mostly because this wide-eyed kitten seemed to be the best combination of playful and cuddly.  Long story short, he made his way from Kidron, Ohio to PA within one week.

Meet our new kitten, Kidron. 

All this time.

I can not stop listening to this song!!!  How encouraging it is to be reminded that God has been walking with me all this time.  He is for me and restoring.
I know God exists, because of the transformation that has occurred in my life.  And the transformation that occurs in the lives of those around me.

I hope you enjoy this song by Britt Nicole as much as I do!

Oldies but Goodies.

My mom has loved the elderly population for as long as I can remember.  At church, she would often talk to little old ladies about their grandchildren or high blood pressure with a big smile plastered on her face.  My mom would often say that children could connect in neat ways with the elderly.  So, she tried to pass this love along to me and my sisters when we were kids by forcing us into nursing homes.  During our nursing home visits, Alyssa and I listened to the same stories over and over again, learned to knit, and sang hymns or nursery rhymes. 

My mom was successful in sensitizing us.  Alyssa and I both dearly love old people.  Anyone over the age of 70, I want to treasure.  They have lived long and have gained much wisdom.

While working on my undergraduate degree, I worked at a local nursing home during summer breaks.  I used to love helping the residents with their activities of daily living and learning each resident’s little quirks.  For example, “Charlie” may eat only strawberry ice cream.  “Sandy” may want to meet weekly to practice our Spanish after being a Spanish teacher for 40+ years.  “Beth” may love to show me the wedding dress she was sewing for her granddaughter’s wedding.  I loved being a part of their daily lives.

I especially enjoyed those elderly couples at the nursing home who would walk to the dining room holding hands.  I loved to watch them physically supporting each other.  They often had sweet conversations and spoke about the Lord’s faithfulness throughout their long life together.  Some of these elderly folks had worked hard on their marriages over the years and have cultivated fruitful, loving relationships. 

So, I hope to be like my mom in this regard.  When I have kiddos, I will be forcing them into nursing homes, making them listen to stories and sing songs.  So, they can appreciate and learn some of the same lessons I did.  The elderly still need community, love, and attention just like anyone else.   

Graduation.

A Pinning Ceremony rather.

I had a friend encourage me to read 2 Chronicles 20 in light of my graduation.  The story is about King Jehoshaphat, who was king of Judah at that time.  He is given word that his country is about to be attacked by a powerful, invading army.  Jehoshaphat declares that no matter what happens - calamity, judgment, plague, famine - that "we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us." 

The Lord saw Jehoshaphat’s faith and spoke through one of the Levites, who declared, “Do not be afraid of discouraged because of this vast army.  For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”  God protects the people of Judah and the invading army ends up killing each other.

I know it may sound silly to compare this battle to nurse practitioner school, but there have been days when I felt like I was on the front lines against an invading army…

I have felt overwhelmed as I approach a diaphoretic, short of breath patient walking into the office.  As the patient is doubled-over in pain, he has proven to bring peace during critical times.

I have stood by patients who hear the new diagnosis of late stage cancer and have watched him give them hope.

I have driven home after a busy day at clinical to head home to a full evening of studying with a terrible attitude and have felt him transform my heart to one of gratitude.

God has been faithful.  He made it clear that the battle was his and I was to be obedient.  I stood firm and tried to trust him without fear.  I have done nothing in comparison to how he has worked.  I get to celebrate not just because of a program ending, but because God has been victorious!

Special thank you’s to:

Mom and Dad Raber, Mom and Dad Rohrer, Nan and Pap, Alyssa, Olyvia, and Janzen, who all drove to TN from PA for the weekend to be at the ceremony.  What a far trip!!!

Josh, “Thank you” is not enough.  He has done so much.

Honorary Degree.

Josh, my husband of one year, is an incredible man.  He’s the one who does twice as much cleaning, twice as much laundry, twice as much cooking, and twice as much of just about everything around the house.  I hope to catch up when I am no longer a full time student, but I appreciate his servant’s heart.

He has also edited many of my papers and has given me the space I need to study.  All of his small acts of service have encouraged me and supported me in big ways. His character is seemingly never shaken.  These are just some of the reasons why he is an incredible man.

New friends.

We have to admit that our time in Nashville was not our most social of times.  We moved to Nashville knowing very few people.  Although I had lived in Nashville before, many of my friends had graduated and moved to different parts of the country.  Josh was job searching and my nursing program was a distance program, meaning I saw my classmates one to two times per month.  Additionally, we church-hopped during the first two months we were in Nashville, visiting many different congregations.  So, neither of us had regular contact with others.  Although community seemed to be all around us, it was difficult to initially plug in.

A friend from high school, Dan, connected us with his aunt and uncle who live in Nashville.  After meeting (Uncle) Dave and (Aunt) Vicki at a free symphony concert, Josh and I felt like we had found our Southern long lost family members.  We intermittently spent time together and each time felt comfortable, normal, and somehow familiar.  They encouraged us in our endeavors and filled our bellies with delicious food!  Their friendship felt like a gift to us while we were far away from home.  We are excited to travel to Nashville in August for my pinning ceremony and see Dave and Vicki again!

Vicki is a super talented artist.  She mainly paints birds (my favorite) with a unique, whimsical style.  She actually is now painting full time, which is quite a feat.  Check out her website to view her art and try out her unique recipes.  We love her rhubarb lime custard pie!  www.vickisawyer.com. 

the lovely couple

Spring break.

Josh and I decided to pack up our tent and make a quick road trip to Savannah, Georgia for Spring break.  It seemed like the perfect time for a road trip, you know, with final exams and projects on the horizon.  We liked the idea of one more “hoorah!” before the end of the semester to liven our spirits.

We stopped in Atlanta en route and visited Josh’s good friends from college, Andrew and Camille.  They had been teaching English in Korea for over a year and now have returned to the states.  They gave us a comfortable bed, showed us Atlanta’s farmer’s markets, and introduced us to some tasty Vietnamese sandwiches and soups.  After this delectable time in A-town, our travel south continued.

Josh and I loved Savannah and appreciated a change in pace!  We loved Forsyth Park, River Street’s talented artists, and the many varieties of glazed pecans.  We also enjoyed time on the beach at Tybee Island for a day, soaking up the vitamin D.  We would recommend the Freedom Trail Tour, which was an educational experience about the civil rights progression in Savannah. 

My most favorite parts of the trip were seeing the huge magnolia trees, the Live oaks with Spanish moss, and Painted Buntings on our hikes!  If you don’t know what a Painted Bunting is, look it up please!  You will be so glad you did.

I hope to remember these fun weekend get-away-trips with Josh.  Our little family of two has a lot of love and many places to explore.  All we need is our car, tent, and some Vietnamese sandwiches.

southern magnolia

Hubs

Forsyth Park

spanish moss

First African Baptist Church

River Street

our campsite

Live Oaks

the savannah

hiking