This could be the most challenging post I have written yet...not because the subject matter is deep, or revealing, but it is that I don't know if it's possible for me to do it justice...



     As most of you know by now, our own Earth Monkey mama, Lindsay and her family we're chosen to receive an Extreme Home Makeover!!! I struggle to even find the words to describe the intense excitement, joy, and amazement that I am feeling about this entire process...it really only pales to the birth and adoption of my children (sorry babe, this is better than our wedding!;) )



     I am hoping today that I can give you a glimpse into the work that is going into the creating, building and fruition of this amazing home! I am going to keep my words few (I know shock hu??) because honestly, I am so tired, and overwhelmed that I feel like my brain is more of a mush ball!

     I always walk through stores like Pier1 or even Target and all the cute pillows are like 20-30 dollars!!!  Who can afford that when you know they are gonna get ruined by the kids or the dog or my husband, plus you need at least 2 and $40 is an investment!!. Recently I have converted my house into a Shabby chic kindof style. The best part of this is, it can be shabby!!!  As in not perfect, a little lopsided, mix and matched!!!

     Which means I can sew and my lines don't have to be totally straight and it wont matter!!! How great is that.  I'm a fast sewer (because I have no time or patience to take my time), I don't have time to cut straight lines or use those annoying pins.. I just wing it! I'm not kidding!! If you look really close at the lines on the pillow they are not straight. and it doesnt matter. yay! But recently after walking through Pier1 I found these napkins for $2.97 each and a bag of Polly-fill for $3.00 so for a total of about $7.00 I made this fabulous shabby white pillow.  So for that price if it only lasts a few months, I'm fine with that!!            

                                                       And here is how you can do it!

Step 2: Lay out the napkins good side out on both sides. 

I wanted the cute trim on the outside to show, 

so I sewed them on the good sides out 

instead of the conventional inside out

Step 3: Sew the entire 3 edges of the napkin fabric, 

leaving about an inch for the trim to not be sewn

*Leave about 6 inches unsewn so you can stuff your pillow

We are so jazzed that Mindy is giving away this adorable pillow that she showed us how to make!  Simply "like" her Pretty in Paint FB page and of course Earth Monkeys too then come back and "comment" below...a winner will be chosen at random!  Oh Oh Pick me!!!!



And one last thing...please take a quick second and click the "about 2011" link to the right and vote for Earth Monkeys...it's easy and we need every vote!  Thanks friends!!!!

Alex was born in Lima, Peru. When she was sixteen when she moved to Central Point, Oregon. A few years after graduating high school she met, fell in love with and married her husband. Together they have two very active girls. She is an amazingly creative photographer, and we are excited to have her share her "brilliance" with us!! Make sure to go to her FB page and "like" her! She deserves it!!



I've been having a blast documenting my little ones lives by taking pictures and video taping them. Even though I live to imagine, invent, and create, I have never been a fan of scrap booking. Nothing against it I think it is a great way to preserve pictures and memories. I just have never gotten into it, however I do love to put pictures up on our walls.



In this post I will give you ideas of fun ways to personalize your kids rooms in a way that they will always remember. You can decide what you would like to do for this project, by coming up with an idea that best fits your family.



I have chosen to take a picture of my daughter Jennah and her best pal in the world. Her name is baby. I know it is not very original -- she did name her when she was one, but she loves her so much. She has been in our family since Jennah was born. We do not dare to leave her anywhere because she won't sleep without her; literally! We left her in Seattle once and we did not sleep until grandma overnighted her!!! I have also decided to take a picture of my youngest daughter Isabella and her weiner dog Twinkers, who is her best pal.



For this project you need:

An idea/ vision like the one above

A camera ( it does not need to be a fancy one )

Some sort of editing program such as Photoshop elements, or Picasso ( it is free I believe)

[editors note: EMM's use picnik.com...it's easy for those not too smart :) ]

Frames to hang the pictures in.



Step One

Decide what background you want to use for your picture...be sure to pick and area that has plenty of natural light. I chose my girls playroom because I like the pastel tones in that room.

Oh what a lovely night...I just got both kids down (in their own beds...miracle) and I'm sitting here in the silence (except for the t.v., the drier, and the dishwasher) just me (and the dog, and the husband) typing.   O.K. so it's only a little glamorous.  The beautiful part is the shimmery Christmas tree beside me, not to mention the chuga chuga choo choo train (named by my 2 year old) lying in pieces underneath the for-mentioned shimmery Christmas tree.   None the less, it's pretty.  What makes it even better is that I can gaze at it through my peripheral vision (fancy word), (O.K. I'll stop using parenthesis now, I know its annoying!!!) and completely ignore the massive pile of boxes, stockings, wreathes, lights, snowmen, and other decor behind me...you get the picture right?  You see, my decorating has just begun...2 days ago!  I have had time to accomplish nothing other than the tree and the mess!  I am not complaining.  I love Christmas and all most of what it brings, but sometimes, it's all just a bit too much.  Here are just a few things I am trying to accomplish (along with my normal job, kids, house, company, volunteer work, nose and butt wiping, driving, etc, etc, etc...)

I did not wrap this!

Christmas cards

Decorating

Baking

Christmas parties

This is NOT my house!

Shopping (No I was NOT out there with you crazies on black friday, or I guess it's thursday now!)

Wrapping presents like Martha

Making the perfect Christmas CD

Lights outside that could rival Clark Griswold!

Lights inside

  putting out Christmas dishes...and on, and on...

I know that a lot of you could fill in about a dozen more things you are wanting to do in the next month, but here is my thought for all of us.  First of all if you love the chaos, you go girl, but if you are like me and you don't, I think you will appreciate the words that our pastor gave us today.

He said (I may not be getting this exactly right but here goes)



"I want to make MORE of Christmas, by making LESS of Christmas".



Read that again...

"I want to make MORE of Christmas, by making LESS of Christmas".



I LOVE THIS!!!!  Because I love Christmas, I am going to make LESS of it this year.  What I love, is that for every one of us that chooses to do this, it will mean something different.  For me, here is what it means.



I will not buy every toy that my kids say they need.

I will not make my own bows for each package.

I will not bake.  Nope not even once!  I hate baking people, and I'm the only one that will eat it any way!

I will not host a party, or shop for a new outfit for any that I go to.

I will not care if I don't get wreaths put up just so, or if the stupid train spends more time on the floor than it does on the track.









And I will go back to what Christmas means to me and my family.  We will celebrate Jesus birthday.  We will remember why celebrate, and focus on the magnitude of what He did for us.







So thats it.  Simple.  I am making more of Christmas this year by making less of Christmas this year!





MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I have a filthy mouth. No joke… I talk like a trucker and for no real reason other than it just makes me feel better sometimes. I’ve actually been able to tame my tongue at different points in life…when I went on a mission to Chile for six months….when I became a pastor’s wife and thought I probably shouldn’t be dropping F-bombs in front of our youth group. But somehow the words slowly slip their way back into my vocabulary. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago at Costco when my oldest dropped a huge *&%^%&  %*$#@) bomb that I decided to clean up my act…wondering what he said??? If you guessed the F-Word you’re wrong…it was worse and only a few choice NON-JUDGEMENTAL friends will ever know what he really said. The lady in the isle next to us gasped and looked at me with horror in her eyes. So I did what any self-respecting parent would do…I bent down and said, “Sawyer, where did you hear that??? We never say those words.” I, of course, knew darn well where he’d heard it … flying out of my mouth, twenty minutes earlier, as I tried to find a parking spot.