a simple anniversary celebration

happy thursday, friends.
this week is just trucking right along.
it helps that we had a holiday on monday. ;)

remember when i showed you that simple little doily garland i made for an anniversary celebration?

i thought i'd show you a few more pics from that night.

we are on a very tight budget due to putting away every penny for a future house down payment.
therefore, i wanted to try to make the celebration thoughtful and fun while not spending very much money.
honestly, i enjoy that kind of challenge.

all of their dating and honeymoon photos were in one of those old peel & stick page albums.
it was browning and worse for the wear so i took all of the photos out and put them in a new, archival quailty album.
it was a simple, kakhi linen book from target.
i had one of their engagement photos enlarged to 5X7 and then framed so it could be a gift and party decoration all in one. ;)

i made this little stand by gluing a dollar tree candle stick to a dollar tree platter.
the nuts and mints were a nod to their wedding reception.
i think it turned out pretty sweet and anniversary-ish. ;)

we had chicken tacos with all the fixings for dinner and then finished the night with cake and a chocolate fountain {borrowed from a sweet friend}.

it was a great night full of eating, talking, & reminiscing.

and now i want to buy 15 more platters and candle sticks to make loads of cake stands. :)



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hello summer.

summer is in full swing and i couldn't be happier about it. 

we enjoyed a lovely three day weekend full of eating and swimming and enjoying family & friends.

we had an after-the-kids-are-in-bed fondue date with friends. 

we made super fun & easy canned biscuit donuts for breakfast two of the three mornings.

we ate picnic-style by the pool.

i plan to do that all summer long. 

we had a fancy date night at a beautiful wedding. 

a wedding with a photo booth.

yes. please. :)

we hosted a cook out and pool party for memorial day celebratin'.  

ruby had her first time in a swimming pool and first time in a swim suit.

oh sigh.

i love a baby girl in a swim suit.

i am so stinkin' happy that i get to put a girl in swim suits...they're so adorable!

she was like a cat in water at first....kept holding her legs out of the water.

but she got used to it pretty quickly and was splashing her arms by the end.

she must be a water baby to live in this family. non negotiable.  

hello, summer. 

i like you.

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redeemed jewelry winner!

we have a winner for the Redeemed Jewelry Giveaway!

congratulations to . . . 

Juliene

i used a random number generator from random.org to find our winner.

JulieneMay 15, 2012 10:29 AM

Gorgeous jewelry

ReplyDelete

Yay Juliene! contact me with your mailing address and we'll get it shipped right out to you!!

thank you all for entering my giveaway! 

we'll do it again. ;)

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instafriday afternoon

this week has been craz-ay.
like for reals.

last week of school.
little miss Meliyah with us for the majority of it.
baseball.
helping friends move.
yard work.
late nights.
yada yada yada.
thank goodness we weren't trying to add tv into the mix! ;)

over the weekend we got to go see uncle chris, become dr. uncle chris.

my kids l-o-v-e uncle chris. 

he's such a smarty pants. 

you need one in every family.

the littles and i took a very hot walk one morning this week.
sawyer regretted his choice of rain boots about half way through the walk.
the walk home was pretty miserable with me carrying a sweaty baby girl and meliyah pushing sawyer in the big unwieldy stroller.
i kept saying, "we're almost home, we're almost home" {to myself as well } ;)
poor meliyah's hair is pretty nutso when i'm in charge of fixing it.

ruby spends a lot of time on that changing table.
this girl is a poop. factory.
seriously. like 5 times a day. or hour, depending.

craziness.

the boys had a really fun field day at school.
we joined them for a bit and had fun watching the dunk tank together.
i tried to wear sister in the moby but it's just not working for us anymore.
i need to find a new baby carrier situation.

first and last days of school.

pretty rough pics but you get the idea.

yesterday was the last day . . . fin-al-ly.

honestly, i wouldn't have sent them if i had known that it was going to be a completely useless day that consisted of watching two movies.

not sure why they didn't do field day on the last day.

but they didn't ask me. ;)

on my last day of sawyer's mother's day out {a.k.a. my only day of the week with one kiddo}, i spent 3 hours at the boy's school watching awards assemblies. . . in which my boys received awards for about 20 seconds each.
loooonnnnggg and boring.
ruby was not digging it so we hung out on the dirty hallway floor.
applesauce pouches {best invention ever} kept her hanging in there.

in between grade level awards assemblies, i ran home and grabbed some blueberry tea with blue agave sweetener. yum.
ruby took a cat nap in the car.
we were both a little happier when we went back for round 2. ;)

for the teachers.
a little something to say thank you.
decorative chalkboard plates...made from thrifted plates and a leftover can of chalk board paint.

after school we had celebratory happy hour slushies from sonic.
we ate dinner as a family outside.
we're looking forward to many summer nights spent out there.

Fin read to us for almost 30 minutes at bedtime.
i love hearing him read.

after i got the three little ones to bed, i went outside and planted  more plants in the dark with only the porch lights to guide me.
when aj and avery got home from baseball, aj cleaned the pool and i sat and talked to him for a bit.
then we cleaned up the kitchen together, and after a very long day, called it a night.
whew. some days, you're just glad to call that one done. ;)

and now, for the world's cutestst picture:

we are starting this summer off right!
the first day to get to swim is the first day of summer break!

school's out for summer!

happy weekend, y'all!





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don't forget!!

make hay while the sun shines!

today is the last day to enter the Redeemed Collection I am His jewelry giveaway!!




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monday morning thoughts

it's 8:30 in the morning and i'm eating a piece of cold pizza and i'm really happy about it. :)

okay, Jesus Calling is SO.GOOD. today.

I have to share, in case you need to hear it too.
{and then go buy yourself a copy, seriously}.

"I, the Creator of the Universe, am with you and for you. What more could you need? When you feel some lack, it is because you are not connecting with Me at a deep level.  I offer abundant Life; your part is to trust Me, refusing to worry about anything. It is not so much adverse events that make you anxious as it is your thoughts about those events.  Your mind engages in efforts to take control of a situation, to bring about the result you desire.  Your thoughts close in on the problem like ravenous wolves.. Determined to make things go your way, you forget that I am in charge of your life.  The only remedy is to switch your focus from the problem to My Presence.  Stop all your striving and watch to see what i will do.  I am the Lord!"


wow. isn't that so good?
exactly what I needed to hear today....as usual.

so, i received this comment/question on friday . . .
"I'm right there with you and wanting to simplify life and be more focused about motherhood and life in general. My biggest dilemma though, is feeling that if I just create a kind of bubble for my family how does that help anyone else unless I have some sort of "outlet" to share that with others? "

yes. i resonate with that.
i am the first one to say that i am crazy-nuts-in-love with my little family and would just love to wrap us up in a little bubble and spend all my time with them in pure, happy bliss.
but what good does that do the world?
we're supposed to share our lives with others and get our hands dirty.

that is why our family is involved with the potter's house ministry.
it is not neat and tidy. it is messy.
we've had the privilege of having our meliyah girl stay with us for the past few days and it is hard and good and overwhelming and sweet.
sometimes this ministry that God has given us feels too hard and too much for us.
but then we are gently reminded that God has gifted us with this one wild and precious life and we want to live it well.
we want to waste our lives on Jesus.
this is the work, Heaven is the rest.

our year of simplicity is not only about simplifying our lives and getting rid of the fluff, it's also about spending our days on what matters.
our sweet pastor Jim always asks, "are you spending your time, talents and money on what matters?"
It's one thing to talk about these things but it is so much more to try to actually live them out.

so here we go, one shaky step in front of the other . . . leaning hard on God's mercy and grace.

:)






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friday stuff

hi there.
i have a thousand thoughts rolling around in my head right now.

and honestly, i am exhausted and hoping for a nap soon.
but my brain will not quit until i write some stuff down so here goes.

1. our pool is the color of algae. awesome. we're having some difficulties getting it opened for summer. trying to be patient! pool guys are coming on monday.
glass half full: the kiwi colored water discourages certain children from getting in before it's ready.

2. AJ and I are calling this our year of simplicity. 
remember me telling you that we are seeking to simplify our lives?
well, wow.
God is bringing that into focus big time right now.
there are things that we have been praying about and wondering about for months, that are finally becoming so simple and obvious.
hard things but good things.
sorry, that is so vague . . . for now.

the no tv thing has been seriously wonderful.
again, harder, more work to think of creative things for the boys to do.
but really, they are mostly figuring it out on their own.
it's been really good for us all.

3. this post: how to miss a childhood, is a must-read.
it is so worth the 5 minutes of your time to read.
it has been very challenging to me and i have re-read it a couple of times to get it to soak it in.

4. have you entered my dayspring giveaway to win the I am His jewelry set?
click here. do it. do it now. do it.

5. and now for some instafriday moments . . .

"look mom! i'm larry boy!"

ha ha ha! that boy is so stinkin' cute.

do you love the plethora of bandaids? 

mercy, he is adorbs.

mama carmen's espresso cafe'.
every wednesday morning at 6 am.
a power hour.
memorizing scripture. praying.  getting filled up by women who love Jesus.

this girl.
she has stolen our hearts fully and completely.
i am trying to suck up every last second with this sweet child.
she is growing so fast.
i love everything about her.

especially when she passes out in my arms and i get to watch her sleep.
i don't deserve this bliss.

potter's house thrift came through for me once again.
ruby and i did a little shopping there yesterday.
this fun find is and 8X10, i'd say.
it has an urban outfitters price tag on the back for $38.
i paid $2.95. blam.
stickin' it to the man.


have you joined instagram yet?
it's my fave.
wayyyy better than facebook or twitter. they are dead to me now.
simpler and prettier, i think. :)

join the instafriday fun at life rearranged....




happy friday . . .  enjoy your weekend.

here's hoping for a nap!



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quick and simple paper doily garland

last weekend we hosted a little 25th anniversary celebration for my dad & stepmom.

i wanted to give our mantle a little anniversary sweetness so i picked up this pack of paper doilies in the baking section at Hob Lob.
and obviously used my 40% off coupon.
obviously.

i think it's a 24 pack and i paid a little over a dollar.
cheap and easy.
yes, please.

this took like 5-10 minutes total.
i just found some white string i had on hand, folded the individual doilies over the string, & stapled to secure.

so easy, but so cute, i say.

i also took down the other things that were on the sides of the mantle and just piled up some of my collected milk glass.
isn't milk glass the best?
that's probably one of the only things that i collect.
besides dust.
i collect plenty of that.

i'm loving it here in the living room right now.
it's so bright and happy.
i think i will eventually relocate it to ruby's room.
it is pretty girly.

i love how it turned out and i love that it was such a quick project.

there are so many fun uses for this little doily bunting . . . baby showers, wedding showers, girly birthday party, wedding tables, photo props . . . shall i go on? :)

right about now i am kicking myself for giving away all those old {non-paper} doilies i used to have.
dang hindsight.


happy doilying! :)



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i am mama

mother's day 2012

first mother's day as a mama of four.
this is my life and i know it. . . . but looking at that picture is surreal.
how did little ol' me get to be a real life mama of four kids?
a nine year old who is inching up on me faster than i'd like to admit.
a seven year old with new gaps in his teeth.
a three year old rough and tumble boy and a baby girl who has stolen our hearts fully and completely.

being a mama has changed me in every way.
it has been a slow process.
i feel more like a mama all the time.
it has become me now and i will say that i own it.
i think in the beginning i fought against it.
even as much as i absolutely loved being a mama . . . i struggled to find my way.
i didn't know how to still be me and be a mama.
i thought they were separate.

and now a decade later, i thrive in my motherhood.
i stumble and act crazy and make my kids crazy at times.
perfection is not my goal.
but neither is running from it.
i've learned that time and grace will work most things out.

this good work is a process.
layer after layer, Jesus is refining me.

i'm overwhelmed with gratitude that God would entrust these precious lives to my care.
so very thankful that they call me mama.





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something pretty { a giveaway}

my grandma loved her some jewelry.
and by loved, i mean she wore at least one ring on every finger, if not two or three.
seriously.
when it was time to head to town, you could be sure grandma would be decked out in her polyester dress suit, a large beaded necklace, coordinating broach, coordinating earrings, and 52 rings on her fingers.
grandma owned it.

now my mom loves her some jewelries too, but we've come down a notch . . . . or seven.
she wears a nice, modest amount of pretties.

so you can see, i come by it honestly.
i love me some jewelry.

not the whole 15 piece ensemble a la grandma.
but i do love a fun statement piece.

some big earrings.
a sassy bracelet.
a big, vintage ring.
i usually only do one piece at a time.
but it is fun and really, i am such a girl in that way.

i l-o-v-e the new Redeemed line at dayspring.
it has a sweet, vintage look to it.
and you know i love all things vintage.

also, i love that these pieces from the I am His jewelry set are adjustable. {!!!}
hello.
that is perfection.

the bracelet is engraved with "treasured II THESS 2:13" {God chose you from the beginning.}
don't we all need that reminder?

i wasn't sure if this would be too dangly and all up in my business but it is not.
it is great and actually so fun to wear.

okay so i lied about wearing only one piece.
i do enjoy a little necklace layering now and again.
the back of the leaf necklace says, "I am His."
yes. love that.

but seriously that's pretty simple and sweet right?
and a far cry from grandma's jewelry shenanigans.

would you like to own your very own, vintagey awesome, I am His jewelry set?
dayspring would like to gift one of my sweet readers with a set!

*leave a comment to enter
*extra entry: become an it's good to be queen follower via google friend connect {in the sidebar}
*extra entry: "like" it's good to be queen on facebook {also available in the sidebar}
*follow me on twitter {saragood2bqueen}

leave separate comments for each additional entry, four chances total. :)
contest ends one week from today at midnight {May 22}

good luck! go team!


p.s. dayspring gave me the product to review but all opinions are my own. 
p.s.s. you must reside in the u.s. to win.

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hello monday

hello monday.

hello {and goodbye} to sweet boys.
dear friends moved away last weekend.
goodbyes are lame.
you get used to living life with people and then you have to find a new way.
sad.

hello to a little boy who needs a sand box. 

he is too cute for words.

he made roads and castles and trails in the laundry soap while i put clothes in and out. 

i'm thinking of fashioning a sand box with an under the bed box and just store it on our porch.
it won't be beautiful, but it also won't be a litter box.

hello cutie patootie little girlie who loves to sit in the grass.
and stuff it into her mouth, incidentally.

hello mother's day.
hello breakfast in bed and fun jewelry from a savage heart.
hello thoughtful husband who listens to me.  :)

hello eating my kind of eats on mother's day.

down home southern food. 

sweet tea, fried chicken and water boiled cornbread. 

y.u.m.

hello clogged sink.

hello washing loads of dishes in the bathtub upstairs. 

hello hottiehottie working on it for three days and getting the job done on his lunch break, in time to cancel the plumber.

hello video of us discussing what we should plant in our raised bed {IF we ever get the dang thing weeded}.

hello boys who are dying to send it in to AFV.

hello keeping the boys home from school today because i miss them.

hello personal day. 

hello sleeping in.

hello really good decision.

i'm saying hello today with lisa leonard. :)

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