Owl Be Your Valentine {Tutorial}

Cole and I did some more Valentine's crafting yesterday and today, so I thought I would share with you how we made these little owl Valentine's using toilet paper tubes. Aren't they cute?! I've actually been saving up our T.P. tubes for the purpose of crafting with them, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. And the best part- I had all the other materials on hand too (minus the treats)- score!

My sweet little helper. Here he is making Valentine cards for his cousins. :)

And here's Caleb giving me the evil eye for not including him (sorry baby) :(.

"Owl Be Your Valentine" Craft

Materials you'll need:

Toilet paper cardboard tubes (or paper towel tubes cut down)

Construction paper or other scrapbooking paper

Silly eyes

Tape

Glue stick

Scissors

Marker

Treats (to fill tubes)

First I cut out circles of construction paper with tabs to fit on the bottom of the tubes (so the treats wouldn't fall out when filled later).

And taped the tabs to the sides of the tube.

Afterwards I cut out my sheets of construction paper sized to the cardboard tubes, with a little extra for overhang.

And here it is glued securely to the tube.

Then the fun part- making it look like an owl! :) I cut beaks out of yellow construction paper first by cutting diamonds, then folding them in half.

And cutting out some teardrop-shaped owl "wings".

After that I cut some more construction paper for the bellies, wrote the message on them and glued them to the front. And lastly, I glued on the wings, eyes, beak, and folded down the top of the tube to create the "ears". 

I think they're pretty cute! Silly-looking, but cute. :) Next I'll fill them (from the top) with treats and fold the "ears" back down.


And here are my boys happily having a screaming contest during lunch.

Awww ...boys. :) 

xo,

Gail

Valentine's Craft

Seeing as how Valentine's Day is only a week away, I thought it would be fun to share a little V-Day craft that I did today during the boys' nap time. I'm not really big into hearts in decorating for the house, so when I saw this on Pinterest awhile back I thought it was really adorable and decided it fit within my decorating style. And, it's so simple you can practically do it with your eyes closed (okay, minus the scissors part! ;) But you get my point....it's eeeeasy. :) I like the way it turned out. Let me know if you try it too!

XO Clothesline Craft

Materials you'll need:

Graph paper (optional)

Pencil

Scissors

Sheet of cardboard (a leftover cereal box would do)

Craft paint (I used white and red and left some unpainted)

Craft paint brushes

Twine

Mini clothespins (crafts supply store)

 First I used my graph paper to draw out the X's and O's (you could do words too). I then traced them on my cardboard and cut them out. 

 After that it was just a matter of painting them and waiting til they had dried, which only took a few minutes

And here's how it looks in my kitchen. 

I think they're kind of sweet. :)


Happy Valentine's Crafting to you!

xo,

Gail

30 "Leaps"

Hello 2014 (albeit a little late ) and hello to anyone who might read this!

I thought I had fallen off the face of the earth in the blog world, but I've decided to make a come back and to try my hand(s) again at this whole blog thing. ;)

Something I've realized about myself over the last year or so is that I really do have a whole lot I want to do with my life ( inward) and in my life (outward). I have a lot of desires, goals, and unfulfilled dreams. And with 30 lurking around the corner, I'm not getting any younger so I'd better get on them now! Ha! (so dramatic, I know. ;) ) But basically, I just don't want to hit 5 years from now and say "I really wish I had done (fill in the blank) or gone to (fill in the blank) or learned about (fill in the blank), etc. and here it is 5 years later and I haven't really done much in the last 5 years." I want to be more than I am. Not because I'm not perfectly content with where I am (sometimes I'm a little too comfortable) but because I know that God wants me to be more. Not in a "He expects more out of me and if I don't do something about it He's going to be disappointed in me" sort of way..but in a "I think God might want me to trust Him more, and take some leaps of faith". A lot of times I can allow fears or laziness to hold me back, and I don't want those two to define me. I'm hoping that my life will be defined by my faith in God and His love for me extended to others. That is my desire anyway!

Sooo....

Back to blogging. ;) I thought it would make sense to start blogging again and write a list (of sorts) of areas I want to improve in and things I'd like to do/be/shoot for. I'm hopeful that maybe writing it down publicly will force encourage me to "leap". I guess we'll see!

Okay, enough talking/writing....here it goes!

30 "Leaps":

(in no particular order)

1. Refinish a piece of furniture ( I have about 5 projects waiting for me as I write!)

2. Joyfully serve in an area of ministry in our church.

3. Help contribute to our family's income from home by using my own personal talents/gifts ( ie: a small business?).

4. Make quiet times, prayer and meditation a more regular part of my day....because I want to!

5. Be intentional with initiating with my friends (you know who you are). :)

6. Be intentional with initiating with my family (again...you know who you are).

7. Visit our missionary friends and serve with them short term in Ukraine, Indonesia, etc. (this may be a longer than 5 year goal...but maybe not!)

8. Finish writing and publish (ahhh!) a short children's book.
9. Buy our first home (that we loove!)
10. Get rid of everything in our house that we do not #1- love and #2- use. Basically, be rid of excess.
11. (Continue to) decorate our house in a way that really reflects my personality and slowly get rid of everything/switch out things I don't really like. (that'll be fun to blog about!) :)
12. Be the best involved, hands-on Mom I can be and pray for my boys daily.
13. Be the best wife ( respectful, gracious, & serving) I can be and pray for my husband daily.
14. Share my testimony with a small group. Yay- check check. :)
15. Lead a Bible study.
16. Go on a 10-year anniversary vacation with the hubby to an exotic location (without the kids...3 1/2 years to go!) ;)
17. Get "up and at 'em" earlier/become more of a morning person.
18. Familiarize myself better with technology---esp. computers and cameras. It stinks to say this--but technology is really overwhelming and intimidating for me. Hello- that's why I married a computer guy! :) But still...
19. Exercise. Plain and simple. In other words...if I'm not pregnant, I just haven't been exercising and that's not good. :(
20. Go completely green/organic (or at least as much as possible) with eating, hygiene and household products and explore more recipes to make so the transition is more manageable/budget friendly. We're about 75% there so far...
21. Have people over more. Host get-togethers, dinners, casual after-church lunches, etc. Just be more hospitable!!
22. Have another baby...or two. ;) 
23. Forgive someone I haven't...
24. Resolve a conflict with someone I haven't...
25. Take a chance with my personal appearance (but still be me)...cut my hair? Dye it? Be a little more bold with my dress? I've always pretty much played it safe there...
26. Start playing the piano again....(which would require... ;) )
27. Start putting our pictures into photo books/albums :) 
28. Get a dog for the boys! (in a few years or so) :)
29. Do something that scares me...go on a cruise? Ride in a hot air balloon? Parallel park? (haha, jk ;) )
30. Surrender my life continually to Christ! 

Well anyway..that's a start! Here's to the next 5 + years and blogging about the journey!

xo,

Gail

P.S. Do you have any future or immediate goals? What is one thing you are chomping at the bit to do but just haven't taken the "leap" yet? Do share...I'd love to know!!

Three Weeks

Three weeks. Seems like such a short amount of time.....and yet it seems like an eternity. I'm 37 weeks pregnant and counting and very excited/anxious to enter into this next phase of life....the phase where I get to be called "a mommy of two". A mom of boys. :) It makes my heart glad....sooo glad. 

I always wanted 2 sons that would be "pals" and good friends throughout life. We're praying that Cole and Baby Gaffin will become best buds and lifelong friends. I was blessed with 5 sisters and my sweet brother and still count them as my best friends. What a blessing siblings are! Thank you, Lord! 

Before we found out we were pregnant with Cole, everyone said I'd be the one who would have all the girls. I'm a girly-girl at heart, so I guess it seemed to fit the assumption. I love flowers, pretty things, and have even been called "graceful" (haha....not sure about that one). I even thought we'd end up with mostly girls. :) But isn't it funny how God works? He knew just what we needed....and has blessed us with 2 sweet BOYS! Having a son has certainly brought out the "tougher" side of me...and it's so much fun to see the world anew through the eyes of a little guy....and little guy who is rambunctious, strong, curious, and all-around BOY. He is a delight! I can hardly wait to see what his little brother is like...and to enjoy all the fun baby stages anew with him. 

I've pondered a lot in this pregnancy about what a responsibility it is to raise boys in this day and age. It's quite a responsibility whether you are raising boys or girls.....but for some reason (and maybe it's only because we'll be raising boys and that's what I have my mind set on)....the stakes seem higher raising boys. Our culture seems to want to strip boys of their masculinity and their God-given roles as leaders and strong, confident men and it can seem quite scary at times. Raising children is no light issue. The desires of both Matthew's and my heart have been to raise up Godly men who will stand firm in their faith, persevere for their families, and live boldly for God. I know it's going to take a lot of prayer, discernment and guidance along the way, and we're ready to face the challenge. It's not going to be easy, but God never throws you into a situation that He won't enable you in, right? YES. Again, thank you, Lord!

Three weeks. I know it will probably fly by and I won't even remember how long it seemed to take. How my feet hurt at the end of each day and how I had a hard time bending over to help Cole pick up his toys. How I worked endlessly to make each day count in preparation for our sweet baby to come and how I said his name aloud to myself all the time....just to get used to it. 

How I waited for him.

Because soon, and very soon, he'll be here....and our lives will forever change. 

Bring it on! 

xo,

Gail

In Bondage to "Stuff"?

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not 

be subject again to a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

A couple of weeks ago Matthew was rummaging through our pantry trying to find a particular food item, only to turn around, with a look of defeat on his face and say "our pantry looks like a hoarder's!" (major insult to this neat-freak). I retrieved the item he had been looking for, but knew right then and there something had to be done....immediately. Cause you know what? He was totally right. There was a huge mound of baking ingredients in one corner that looked more like a big trash pile than something you'd want to bake a cake with, there were boxes of cereal "attacking" anyone who dared to open up the pantry door, and besides just a general lack of organization, there were way too many multiples of things....things I didn't realize I even had! 


It only took me about an hour to wipe down every shelf and re-evaluate and reorganize the pantry...and what a relief it was! Here are a few things that helped me get back on track:


*I relocated my baking "mound" to a nice galvanized pail and put it in our revolving corner cabinet for easy access. This way it was out of the pantry (creating more space) and directly under the baking area of our kitchen. Now when I want to bake something I can just pull out the pail instead of sifting through a pile in the pantry. 


*If I had multiples of things, which I did (I actually had 6 bags of brown sugar, some opened, some not and 3 containers of corn syrup! All of which I rarely use anyway!) I consolidated bags/containers as best as possible.


*If it was past the expiration date...it was a goner!


*If I knew I probably wouldn't be using it again....it was a goner!


*If it looked "iffy"....it was a goner!


*Related items were organized in the same area (canning goods with other cans, pastas & rice together, etc).


*Frequently used items were the most accessible (though everything is still very accessible).




As I was in the process of purging and cleaning, I asked myself these two questions that seemed to speed up the process..."is it adding to my life, or is it taking away from my life?" And if the answer is the latter, then how is it taking away from my life?


*My time?


*Money?


*Relationships?


I know it may sound a little too deep for a simple endeavor such as organizing the pantry, but lately I've really been thinking......what is the purpose of "stuff?" Whether it be foodstuffs, clothing, furniture, toys, home decor, etc etc....what is God's intended purpose for it all? Here in America we are blessed with so much, but at the same time, I know (at least for me) it can sometimes get a little out of hand. If I am spending twice as much time trying to find something just because I have too much, then I am in bondage to my things. If I am constantly cleaning my things, fixing my things, polishing my things, and caring for my things and have no room leftover for relationships with people and with my Lord, then I am in bondage to my things. If I let my things define me (whether to have too much or too little or not the latest and greatest), I am in bondage to my things. If I am making excuses after excuses for reasons why I can't do important things in life (like relationships!) because of my things, then I am in bondage to my things. If I am too protective of my things and am unwilling to let them be used in appropriate ways to bless others, then I am in bondage to my things. The list goes on. 


There is a time and place for everything.....and if there isn't...then something has to go.  For me, I want the things I do own to "add" to my life, and not take away from it. If we live in a small house for the rest of our lives, I want to be okay with that and "live within our means" and use our things to bless others. And should we live in a big house some day, I don't want that to be an excuse to just accumulate....accumulate. 


The answer to these questions will look differently for everyone....there are a million personalities out there and God want to use us all in  different ways. I am certainly not saying just because you've been blessed with much means you have to go and throw it all away. Only you know your limits. And I'm not saying all I have it all figured out either (quite the contrary....you should see our garage!). But if you were to ask yourself these questions too, how would you answer them? Are you in bondage to your stuff? If anything it's certainly good food for thought...I know has been for me! 


xo,
Gail

A "New" Coffee Table

Hello my Friends! 

It's been several months since I've posted and to be quite honest, as good as it was to take a "break", I've been missing it a lot lately! So...here I am! I hope you all had the merriest of Holidays and are feeling refreshed in this New Year. :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The hunt for a new coffee table began about 7 months ago when Cole started pulling himself up on furniture and tottering around more. Our old coffee table was one that I found at garage sale for $5 (a steal!) and was rectangular with Queen Anne's legs. It has served us well for several years, but it's amazing how differently you look at things (furniture included) once you have a child! The corners of our coffee table all of a sudden appeared much sharper and with Cole running around more and more, it was time to say goodbye to my $5 find. And to make things that much easier, my style has evolved a little over the last couple of years. As if Cole wasn't motivation enough....that's always motivation! :) Haha! (You girls know what I mean). ;) 

So the hunt was on! 

I knew I wanted to meet this criteria when finding a table:

*Antique

*Sturdy/heavy

*Well built, would hold it's value

*Oval or rounded corners

*Stained

*Shelf or drawer as an added bonus

I looked at a lot of pictures online to determine what I was looking for (to see if "it" was even out there!) and found one on this blog that matched what I had been looking for exactly. Now if I could only find it's sister! 

:) After doing some research I learned that it was an antique empire style library table-turned coffee table from the late 1800's/early1900's. I also found out, they can be very hard to find and a lot of times, very expensive. :( With the odds of finding one heavily stacked against me, I just did what any normal, bargain-hunting, determined person would do: kept on looking. Garage sales, estate sales, antique stores, flea markets, thrift stores, Salvation Army, Ebay, and of course...Craigslist. :) 

I wasn't a maniac I promise, but I had my "eye out" when I would be browsing around. Until last week!! Turns out she does have a sister! :) When I read the ad on Craigslist and saw she was listed for a mere $185, I knew she had to be mine. 

And here she is in her new home!

The owner said she was from late 1800's. Isn't she a beaut? She isn't perfect
by any means (has a few little chips),  but I love it. Maybe sometime down the road
when we're not investing in raising children...I'll invest in a full-blown restoration.
But for now, I'm okay with a few imperfections. ;)

She even has the "bonus drawer" I was hoping for. :) 

I love the gentle curve of the legs. Sometimes with antique pieces,
they can seem to be too overly detailed. I love that this piece has detail,
but is not overly fussy. It will work with most any style of room.

And here's our little Cole, perfectly at home around the table's rounded
edges. I thought about putting a vase of flowers in the center for this little photo
shoot, but that's not very realistic cause let's face it, it would just end up on
the floor. Thus is life with little ones! :)

To me, finding this coffee table and having it meet my wants and our needs was an example to me that God really does care about the little things. And that He cares about me! 

Even if it is just a piece of imperfect old furniture. ;)

Have a beautiful day,

Gail

P.S. How has God been meeting your little

wants and needs?

Decorating for Christmas

Have you finished all your decorating for Christmas? I finished up last week (a week long process).....and am now totally in the Christmas spirit! Matthew and I have been listening to the Christmas station all day every day, I baked up Christmas cookies for a party, and I'm pretty sure there's several empty containers of eggnog in our recycling bin. (We LOVE that stuff!...with a little sprinkle of nutmeg, please. :)


Okay now....ready for picture overload??? Brace yourself. 


I was excited to decorate our mantel this year because of our newly updated make-shift mantel. I'll just go ahead and say it...I hated the way it used to look with the ugly grapevine fireplace screen that was oh-so-NOT my style. Now I love it! 

I made this stocking for Matthew the first year we got married. I made it using a pair of satin pants found at a thrift store, added some fur trim, and the tree was created using decorative pillow fringe in progressive lengths, a few red buttons for ornaments, strings of beads, a gold star button, and embroidery floss to stitch a "trunk" and his name. It was a labor of love...and the best part is...I was able to use a pocket from the pair of pants to create a "secret stash" pocket! In years past I've put a small bottle of wine in it or a chocolate bar. YUM! Go here to see. 

I made this sweet little stocking last year for Cole's first Christmas. I'm in the middle of making him a larger stocking made from the same sweater material, but until I finish it (which very well may not be until next year!) this one will stand in its place. I plan to update it though...I think a little wooden "C" hanging from the loop would be cute, or maybe some jingle bells?

And here is my stocking lovingly cross-stitched by my Momma and was mine all growing up. Some day I may make another one but for now, I love the little angels, the soft colors, and the memories that ensue. 

For the mantel I kept it simple with fresh greens and pinecones. The candlesticks I bought at hobby lobby several years ago and love the vintage look of them. 

Sweet vintage looking Santa. 

Simple "NOEL" letters craft using wooden letters, craft glue and silver glitter. Love!

The stonework above the mantel needed a little something, so I fashioned this wreath using fresh greens that I snatched up when we purchased our tree. It's awesome that they let you have as many discards as you want. I think I must have taken almost the entire pile! The turquoise isn't a traditional Christmas color I know, but it matches our home so that's the color I use for Christmas. I looove this ribbon and use it everywhere!

Sleeping Santa ceramic figure on side table. So sweet! I found this at a resale shop for $2.00 and snatched it right up because my family has one that looks exactly like it and it was always such a fun decoration to bring out each year. (I'm so sentimental....this can get me into trouble sometimes though). 

And now for the tree! I love the smell of a real tree! In real life the tree seems to take up the whole room but looking at this picture it appears that the wall behind it is enormous and bare. And it looks like I need to get wrapping too! ;)


This year I used vintage Christmas postcards to accent our already growing stash, which is in mostly golds, browns, rosy pinks, silver and turquoise. 

Here's a look at a couple up close. I just love the old artwork and greetings! 

A new addition...love how sparkly and pretty he is. ;)

I made this little house ornament several years ago when I was inspired by the cardboard houses that were so popular in the 1940's and 50's. 

This turquoise ornament is one in a set of eight (some are larger and smooth) that I purchased at Restoration Hardware on sale several years ago and are among my favorites cause the color is perfect!

A look at the tree at night. Just love it!

My vintage sewing machine all outfitted for Christmas. The manger scene is Italian made by Fontanini and is one of my most treasured Christmas decorations. Each piece is hand painted and the figures are made out of a hard plastic material...which means they are kid friendly! Cole enjoyed "helping" me set it up. 

At night. I just love walking through the house when it's all dark and only the light of the manger scene is on. The bold letters of the chalkboard seem to pop out too and it's nothing short of beautiful.

The kitchen. Unfortunately our kitchen doesn't have any windows (thus the pictures aren't the greatest), but you'll get an idea of what I've done in here. 

I decked out the shelf with some of my pink "Johnson Bros." Christmas dishes, more greenery and pinecones, and some yummy treats in apothecary containers.

Ribbon candy! Makes me think of my Grandma Cole who always has this out in her home at Christmas :)

I love how this little dish mimics a snowflake. Sweet!

I think this tree was the only thing I bought this year. I love it's vintage look and how fluffy and shimmery it is. 

The dining room. I made the garland using fresh greenery, ribbon, and twinkle lights. I've never attempted to make a natural garland before this year and now that I have and know how easy it is...there's no going back. Not to mention the fake ones are expensive and this one was free! I really love the affect it gives and how it brings life to the entire room. 

Another manger scene set inside a silver-plated dish.

The other side of the dining room...

And lastly, the dining room table. (forgive the poor photo lighting). I kept it simple with vintage sheet music for placemats, a runner of sorts of white crocheted doilies that look like snowflakes, and more of my Christmas dishes atop gold chargers. 

And that's all! If you got to the bottom of this post, thanks for taking the time to enjoy my Christmas decorations! And if you were inspired to deck your halls too, write me and tell me about it!

Merry Merry Christmas,

Gail

&


Southern Hospitality