a new day

Hey all...



I think I am hanging up the the "30 days of clean" thing for now...at least till spring. It doesn't feel like the right timing on my end for sure. I just feel like I am on my way on a different journey.

I had this surge of passion come over me the other night. I found so many amazing blogs and sites that showcase little things that are just plain inspiring. I realized in my 2 hours of searching..."I am an artist"! I haven't done "art" that inspires and moves me in years-probably 10 years. I have done art for others on what they want and needs. That's when it hit me that I need an area of concentration-a time period if you will that I am going to let the Lord move through my work! Ahhhhhhhh...it sounds & feels so good. I have had this giddy feeling in me that is indescribable, and I really don't know what God is birthing in me-and still don't, but He is leading me on a journey of self discovery. Which takes my breathe away! It excites me! I almost feel like these past 8 months have been a prep period for me and my families awakening. Yes, this time has been humbling at times, stressful, lonely; but it has also been a prep time for us to see where the Lord wants us-and are we gonna be obedient? I have had questions...random questions- like "what are we gonna do with all this heart stuff?- do we get involved?" Where is Haiden gonna go to school? private/public/homeschooling? Are we done having kids? Will I ever lose this weight? What and when do I want to start painting again? How do I cut it off if I take a break? What is my purpose? When am I gonna have time and money to create a sanctuary space for Chris and I? How is life gonna be when we function as "normal"? What is "normal" now? Do I want to be "normal"? Whooohooow! Ya see the Lord is stirring me-I just know it! I dare say this cause it is scary to say-but if it is the Lord it will be amazing; but i feel that I am gonna take this next year for self discovery. No more jobs for people (murals, painting, etc) No more decorating jobs or graphics. A time to create and listen! A time to enrich and enjoy my family almost for the first time by nurturing through the Lord. To step "out"& discover what it is like as a family to go to church, travel, play dates, etc. But for the Lord to inspire me, pull at my heart strings, guide me, and expose me, but mostly use me! I really don't know what all of this looks like or how I will ween into, but I do know I need to be obedient. I need to be open. I need to be ready. I know this is random, but as we venture closer to a season where we can "come out of hibernation" if you will- I really want to experience more life and not go back to how it was. How could it be? I am forever changed. But I do know-it is what I know and all I know and could slip right back to it. Like all the mural jobs piling back up and having to stick my kids somewhere and so does the stress. And I have this nagging feeling that- that is not what i am about right now. Don't get me wrong i love to make things for everyone, give advice, and ramble ideas at lighting speed; but I want to have a clear schedule for me to hear the Lord & let Him lead me. I will always do this to an extent for those I know-cause it is in. But I now need to create as an artist- an artist who in my spare time would make art out of passion and love listening to worship music and worshipping Him through the gift He gave me- but now i want to use it to glorify Him. Wow- I wonder what this year is gonna bring to me so I can be a better wife, mom, daughter, friend, sister but mostly a child of God! He gave me this gift-I need to be ready to share it with those the Lord is allowing to touch- thanks for hearing my heart and taking this journey with me. I have a few jobs i am finishing then it is time to get moving!

day 6

Okay girls...
Still work on your office spaces. Mine is a work in progress...not really sure if I will have it done yet. I have a confession...

I hired a cleaning lady to deep clean my house for the first time on Friday...It was WONDERFUL! They did a great job too! I really needed it. We have been in our home continously for 8 months with little break and I feel all I do is "surface" clean and the dust and grime was piling up! We also had Christmas and company after Christmas for a week and it was really good to get to maintable square one. So...phew there ya go. I confessed my awesome guilty pleasure to all!

moving on...

I am starting a number of projects soon. 3 framed pics, two paintings, painting a baby boys nursery (owner of "pickles and ice cream), maybe a bench, and I have 6 projects in my house I want to tackle. I got word from Robin Marsh on News 9 that in the spring she wants me to look at her playroom and "do somethin', girl!"...she seems really nice. But that will be down the road. i feel the business coming on...

breathe.

okay...got to take it one day at a time. This is where the whole "overwhelmed" feeling comes on and I end up neglecting things like my home or laundry. Which is fine compared to spending time with my family...but it does eat at me that it is there. It is all a process and seasons we go through. Mine is never ending it seems. It is really nice to take it slow though without stress like with Schafer's stuff. We have been going slow, but now with this huge burden lifted to embrace life more than before where I felt trapped and worried. I am just rambling though enough about me...all that to say...I have boat loads of projects to share soon. Everyone enjoy their snowy days!!!! Love on your family and paint, clean, or decorate something!!!!

day 5

I'll be honest guys...todays thing is probably not gonna happen. It is snowy and I have the hubby home. I didn't even get in the office to do this till now cause he is working from home on and off. So here it is to stay on task if you want the challenge of the day.


Let's get to work on today's challenge!
Have you spent time with the Lord today? If not, challenge yourself to get up early everyday to meet Him first thing - remember, I'll get up with you!
Have your six list done? If not, go ahead and do it now.
Have your mission statement in view - read it over and be reminded of why you are taking care of your domain. (Haven't done this yet? That's okay, work on it when you have time, it will greatly motivate you.)
Today is an organizing day! Whether you have an office, or just a desk, we are going to organize them, as in, opening all the drawers, taking everything out, THROWING THINGS AWAY, and putting our office items in order (magazines, bills, stationary, etc.). So, let's get our "work spaces" into working order! As always, I'll post pics, feel free to post yours (I love seeing them)!
Tips for organizing your home office
How to rejuvenate your office

cleaning style-day 4

First just letting everyone know that we took Haiden to "Walking with Dinosaurs" -she loved it! I was so scared Chris just wasted money that was non-refundable. But she just talked about it all weekend. We wanted to do something with her and give her some one on one attention. It seems like since Schafer was born she not only gained a little brother...which is a huge change, but her and our whole way we did life changed. No play groups or going to church. Hardly ever seeing family and friends...just very isolated. It has to be hard on her too, I really have tried to be sensitive to her needs but it is hard. And now we are months away from lighting up even more-can't wait!!!! And she is doing fine everyone...she is a little card.

now on to our cleaning...:( I slacked on the mission statement yall...have not done that.

Let's be honest, we are probably not going to become Martha Stewart. That's okay.
"O LORD, You have searched me and known me...You...are intimately acquainted with all my ways...For You formed my inward parts You wove me in my mother's womb..." Psalm 139:1,3,13
God formed our personalities and He knows how we work and how we don't. He knows where we struggle and where we excel. If you are not a naturally "neat and organized" type A personality, just accept it, and live out of who you are. I used to beat myself up all the time, "if only I were like so and so, I would be such a better wife, homemaker, mother..." These are thoughts from the enemy! We do have a responsibility to our families and the domains God gave us, and must lay down our flesh minute by minute, by the grace of God, and do our best. However, let's not get trapped by perfection, comparison's, or any other distractions that steal away the truth that God loves us and we are a work in progress!
With this said, I want you to think about your personality style, and what works for you. Maybe you love the idea of having a schedule and you are great at writing one out, but when it comes to actually following it, well, let's just say, not so much! Perhaps, for the time being, you need to not be scheduled, but instead focus on getting certain things accomplished by a certain time in the day. For example, I want to challenge you to clean your kitchen every morning (I know, this is counter to the flylady, but I don't want to clean my kitchen at night!) but maybe mornings are better spent hanging out with your kiddos and just gathering yourself for the day. So for you, you might say, "I will have my kitchen cleaned by noon." That's a realistic goal that doesn't put you in a box...there is freedom in flexibility.
My number one rule is: DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP! I don't care how many times you "fail," don't quit, press on, and know who you are. Figure out your cleaning style, and go with it, not trying to be anybody else. Work hard, get what you need to get done, confess laziness, and accept God's grace. Oh, and know that you are not alone - that's why we're here, to encourage you on!
Now, let's get started on today's "cleaning," shall we?
Today's Challenge:
The living room. Ah yes, the place where many family memories are made, a place to carve out peace and comfort, a place to invite guests to relax and "make yourself at home," a place where love treads. Let's work on it today. Do this:
Vacuum/mop behind the couches (you never know what goodies you may find!)
Dust what needs dusting
Vacuum/mop the floors
Get rid of any clutter (just get rid of it already! Let it go...)
Straighten up (knowing that, if you have kids, this will last two minutes - just accept it!)
While you're working and dropping beads of sweat, thank God that you have a home to take care of.

why clean-day3

BEFORE

IT HAS BEEN DIRTIER...AND IT LOOKS WORSE IN PERSON AFTER
Before I go any further, do you have your "six list" done? If not, stop reading, pull out your pen and paper, and write it down (leaving a space blank for today's challenge.)Okay, now we can move on.

I have a question for you: Why do you want a clean home? This may sound silly, but I think it's important that YOU discover for yourself why you want a clean home. I want you to identify specifically the reasons you want to make your home a haven. I believe that if you can generate a list of the "whys" then you will be able to look on it and remind yourself why, day in and day out, you are spending time on the "mundane" things that never seem to stay accomplished. YOU need to have purpose in what you're doing, or you will continue to stay in a rut. Once you figure it out, we can start cleaning! :)You have two challenges today:

1.) Figure out your mission statement
Write down on a piece of paper exactly why you want a clean home. Be specific. When you are finished, it should take you no longer than a minute to read over your "mission statement."
Find a motivating verse or quote that you put somewhere where you will see it every day. Add to it a mini mission statement from your specific one. For example, write a poem on why you want a clean home, or draw a picture of your mission statement. Perhaps you like lists - make your mission statement into a "why" list. Whatever you decide to do, make it pretty, maybe put it in a frame...but have fun with it!

2.) Clean out the toy box! (Or kids area)
Are toys taking over your home? Welcome to my world! Today, clean out that toy box/kids area! Throw out/give away toys the kids don't play with, store some in the attic, and organize! You will definitely need a trash bag and "goodwill" box handy. Let's take back our homes! (At least for an hour!)

Okay, I want to know your mission statement it (you can give the brief version if you prefer!) I will post mine when I complete it - I also want to see before and after pics of your progress (remember, not perfection, PROGRESS!) and/or your pretty mission statement (if you don't have kids, you'll have plenty of time to decorate and make a pretty mission statement!) Post the pics on your blog.

update to the "six list"

Hey to everyone doing this "clean" thing...

leave a space on your "six list" for the daily challenge. I forgot to do that and I reread the blog I got this from and that is what she did. it can be a bit much if we don't correct that. have fun...I got 3 things on my list done so far and 3/4 of my kitchen...that includes the frig!!! yeah. I also, had a little play time with both kiddos in Haiden's room and sat down to have a good lunch with Haiden too. It is working.

day 2- "six list"

Before we go to bed, every night, write down the six most important things you need to get accomplished the next day -no more, and no less. Do not go on the next thing until you complete the first thing on your list, and so on. I really think that if I get myself back in the habit of making my list, I will save so much time. So, every night before bed we are going to make our lists - are you with me? Now, for good measure, I'm going to throw in some other challenges today. Clear up your schedule issues. Our schedules are one of the domains God gave us to rule and subdue - we must not let it rule us. Figure our your "time wasters" and then execute a plan to regain your time. For example, computer time can be a huge time waster (blogging, shopping, pictures etc.) We have to set limits, or we could spend hours wasting time. Here's what I'm going to implement:
No computer time while the kids are up (except morning video time)
During kiddos naps, set a timer for 20 minutes of computer time. When timer goes off, get to work!
In the evening, after the kiddos are in bed and if hubby is doing something else, then computer time. Do not neglect hubby!

"Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise - sensible, intelligent people; making the very most of the time - buying up each opportunity - because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15-17

Let's get to work!

Now that we have our priorities set, our "six list" on the horizon, and we're working towards gaining back our time, let's get to work. let's clean our kitchens well - including the refrigerator.

oh...here is my "six"

1.fold clean laundry

2.wash my sheets

3.clean rest of laundry in all hampers

4.pick up livingroom(that will always be on my list)

5.pick-up myt room after sheets are done

6. do sketches for a clients baby's room

I will post my "before" and "afters" tomorrow morning...will you? Try the list!

starting the "30 days of clean"-day 1

Here is the start of this 30 day clean series I thought would be good. Hope you all will join in and tell people about it. I will try to keep up on it too. I did get this from another ladies blog for the most part and just added my flavor to it. It really motivated me so I wanted to share it with my friends. So let's get started!

First things first! Before we can "dig" in to getting things clean and in order, we've got to get our minds and hearts in order. Today, we are going to work on our priorities and goals, and then throw in some motivation for encouragement!
Let's talk priorities. If you're anything like me, you have good intentions, but you somehow fall short. For example, I always say that God is first in my life, but is my life reflecting that? Do I spend time with Lord each day? What does my prayer life look life? Scripture memory? You can see where I'm going with this. It's easy to say what our priorities are, but it's really important that we take an inventory of them so we can honestly evaluate where things need to change. Today, we're going to come up with list of our priorities, in order of importance (I suggest rating them, 1-5, to evaluate how you're doing). Here are mine:

1. God
I want be in constant communion with Him, grower deeper in relationship by prayer and time in His word. This has to come first in my day because otherwise it rarely happens. Plus, it starts my day out right.

My commitment: Get up early each day to sit at His feet

Verses/quotes of motivation:
"In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch." Psalm 5:3
"In your presence is fullness of joy." Psalm 16:11
"For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes." Jeremiah 31:25
"In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there." Mark 1:35

2. Husband
I want to be an "excellent" wife, bringing glory to my husband. I want him to find solace and comfort in me, I want to be his biggest fan and his best friend. I need to be a soft place to land for him when is long day is over.

My commitment: Respond to him lovingly and intimately. Make an effort to serve him first. Be careful not to nag. Show respect.

Verses/quotes to motivate:
"A wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands." Proverbs 14:1
"She does him good and not evil all the days of his life." Proverbs 31:12

3. Children
My goal is to train my children in the Lord, so it is imperative that I have the time to play, activities and fun things for them. I also want to just have fun with them - carved out times in the day that are theirs.

My commitment: Work hard at getting my home in order so that I can be freed up to spend time with them, not worrying about all I have to do. Gain control of my time and schedule so that I have adequate time to plan activities etc.

Verses to motivate:
"Teach them to your children, And talk about them When you sit at home And walk along the road. When you lie down and when you get up. Write them down and tie them on your hands as a sign. Tie them on your forehead to remind you and write them on your doors and gates." Deuteronomy 6:7-8
"Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

4. Home
I want a clean home - not a perfectionist home - but a home of comfort and peace. I want a place where my children feel security and warmth, my husband has a haven, and place where people can show up and make themselves at home. I also want to take pride in the domain God gave me to manage. I have been struggling with laziness since Schafer's birth cause it is consistent cleaning when you never leave, so this is sin that I must fight, with God's help.

My commitment: Work hard, putting off laziness, and putting my family before myself by taking care of the home God gave me.

Verses to motivate/quotes to motivate:
"She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness." Proverbs 31:27
"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for me..." Colossians 3:23
"Do all things without grumbling..." Philippians 2:14
"Hospitality is the message you give a person about their value." Phyllis Stanley

5. Personal
I want to carve out time to sharpen my skills, enjoy my hobbies, and just do whatever! I'm putting this last, not because I don't think it's important to develop ourselves as women, but because I believe the other things come first. Plus, I will be able to enjoy "my" time more if I have everything else in order.

My commitment: Take time for the things I enjoy!

Verses to motivate: Anyone know of any good verses for this?
This will take some time, so think about it, pray about it, and tomorrow we'll "pick things up" where we left off!

Will you share your priorities?

sugar and spice/rails, snails, and puppy dog tails

Ok...so I got this bug to get my kids bathroom done the week before Christmas. And may I add that I had Christmas at my house on top of that! It all worked out in the end and was very nice, but I have a weird habit of piling on the projects all at one time. I have to say it is kinda tough coming up with a gender neutral theme or decor for a little boy and girl...so go with it with me. I really liked the "nature" thing. The twigs and branches look so I went from there. All in the mind of Kacie. I can't explain it, it just hits me. It really looks a ton better in person so everyone will just have to come by...hehehe. I have those few small touches and accessories left to add I just don't get out much to shop right now...so all in good time. Well, enjoy the pics. I am putting "before" and "after" pics up.

"BEFORES"

"AFTERS"

activity table

I know some of you have already seen my kiddos table I painted. I've had a few people ask me about it. So, I am putting it on here today so they can see it. Hope it is everything and more...lol...ha ha ha. Tomorrow I will post my kids bathroom. I did it the week before Christmas and just have not taken the "after" pictures. Also, I am starting that "30 days of clean" series. So get ready if you want to chime in! If you really want to be kept accountable...you can email me your "before" and "after" pictures and I will post those for everyone else to admire!;)

been sooooo long

I have been away from my computer for a long time. Though refreshing in a since it was not by choice. I contracted some horrible demon possessed computer virus that had its own legions with it! LOL!!! Seriously...I had like 15 viruses that disabled my adware stuff. We thought I had lost all family pictures, pictures of decorating jobs from clients, graphics, and family budget. All that to say...it would be bad. I cried. But my brother-n-law saved the day and fixed it when they visited us. Phewwwwww!!!! I have lots of stuff I can start posting soon. So sorry about the delay. It was not on purpose. I can't wait to dig in with more things to rant about.