DIY: button earrings

since finding out that we are moving, i have slowly been purging and packing all that i can.

when we moved to orlando, we had like, 4 weeks to prepare.

if you think i'm psycho now, you should have seen me then.

i like this business of having 4 months to prepare to move halfway across the country.

it's much nicer.

so, anywho, purging.  one place in particular that needs a good purge is my junk craft area.

i mean, there is stuff in there that i haven't touched since we moved here.

why?  why am i holding onto it?  it's because there is this glimmer of hope that one day i might be able to sit down and craft it up, glorious style, and i might need that flower sticker, or that bottle of glitter, or that cute pom-pom ribbon.

note to self, "self, you will never use a bottle of glitter, no matter how much you think you might."

i'm just not a glittery kind of gal.

so, i've been slowly detaching myself from the stuff.

in particular, my ridiculous collection of buttons.

i do love buttons, but i just don't need them taking up my space.

so, i picked out a few to make a fun, easy craft and then got rid of the rest.

 if you're in the area and love buttons be on the lookout for a few thousand at your local goodwill.

here's what i made for a valentines day teacher gift:

{i did not come up with this idea on my own...over the past year i've seen it a few different times on the in-tra-net, i just can't remember where.  this was pre-pinterest, of course}

1. you need a button and embroidery thread.

2. thread through button holes.

3. hot glue to your earring (found at hobby lobby--a package of like, 100)

these are cute, eh?

cute as a button. 

ha. 

that's a total dad joke (you know, those lame jokes that only your dad tells yet he always seems to crack himself up)

aaaaaaaanyways.

here's the graphic if you'd like to do the same thing for your sweet teachers, or whomever you wish.

right click to save it to your computer, then print it on white card stock at the size you'd like.

easy.

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and, remember way back when, when i talked about a central florida blogger get together?

yah, sorry i dropped the ball on that.

i mean, i only had a baby, but that's no excuse.

anywho.

here ya go.

-once you RSVP to amy, she will give you all the details of what we're doing, and where it's at-

please RSVP by march 5th

-if you emailed me last time to tell me you were interested, you still need to email amy with your RSVP-

hope to see lots of you crazy bloggers there!  (but not literal crazies...stay away)

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hope your weekend is better than olive's.

embrace the camera: 2/9/12

we are embracing with instagram pics today.

making ridiculous faces.

clearly my funny face involves the duck mouth.

and don't mind milo because he looks like he might eat you in a few of them.

and caedmon, well, with that missing tooth he resembles a bit of a hillbilly.

please enjoy milo's face in this next picture.

it makes me want to pee my pants it's so funny.

and lastly, one of the 7 of us.

i didn't know it was possible to fit so many people in an iPhone pic.

that takes some talent right there.

{hadley looks like she's flippin' you the bird, but rest assure, she's not}

they are all blurry and low quality but i do love them.

if you are new to embrace the camera, read about it here, then join us!

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your turn, lovelies!

here's the nitty gritty on embrace the camera:

1. take a picture of YOU with your kids, spouse, friends, etc. the point of embrace the camera is to get in front of the camera and to document a bit of yourself.

2. link up your POST, not your blog, that way we can see your embrace post.

3. link back to our blog by a text link or using our button in your post.

4. and lastly, have fun and visit each other!

leave each other lots of love---it's not easy to get in front of the camera---bravo to all of you who join us every week! your family will thank you for it one day :)

a beautiful thing.

so...the adoption retreat!

i'm finally sitting in starbucks and have the quiet, uninterrupted time that i need to get my thoughts out.

the retreat was more than i imagined it to be.

i was hoping to be refreshed, but i didn't think i would be so inspired!

after worshiping in a room with 400+ other women who are walking this same adoption journey, how could i not be inspired?

on the way home, i wanted to call all of my friends and tell them to adopt, immediately.  but, i spared them the awkward conversation. 

you're welcome, friends.  but consider this my phone call.

the world is full of orphans...from the city you reside in, all the way across the globe.  i know not everyone is called to adopt, but maybe you've been feeling the nudge.

there are children, sitting in orphanages or worse, on the streets.  children that are your childrens ages.  can you imagine your 4 year old walking around, by themselves on the streets, looking for a scrap of food?  or your 8 year old, taking care of their 4 younger brothers and sisters?  or your 12 year old, being sold into sex slavery?

it's happening, all over this globe.

"the world sees an orphan, but the Lord sees a disciple"

bam.

there it is.  the quote that rocked my world.

the lord sees these precious little ones and has great plans for them.

i hope that the lord uses all of my kids for good, but in particular, i'm excited to see what he does with elsa's life.  a life that is so completely different from a life that she might have lived.

because we chose to say yes to something big, her life has been forever changed.

can you imagine?  what if she's the president one day?

or creates the cure for cancer?

or goes around speaking at conferences, teaching women about jesus?

what if elsa leads hundreds, thousands or millions to christ?

to be quite honest, even if she leads one person to christ, it'll all be worth it.

i'm just excited for her.

i'm excited for the lord to use her, and all my children.

and please, do not think even for a minute that we "saved" her.

yes, her life has been completely changed, but so has ours.  our eyes have been opened to a love that i had a hard time knowing existed.  yes, i've struggled.  and yes, i still struggle.  but knowing that the lord loves me, even when i struggle, is enough to keep me going.

he adopted me into his family, much like we adopted elsa into ours.

i learned a lot at the retreat, but the one thing that i kept coming back to was how much the lord loves these precious children.  and how much he wants us to love them as well.

and loving them like he loves them?  oh, friends.  i've failed at this many times.

i am grateful for a god who loves and forgives.

who gives me new mercies every morning.

i may not ever have it right, but i'm trying.

and i was reminded during the retreat, that he never left me.  even amidst the dark days, he was there.  even when i was a horrible mom, he was there, loving me.  even when it felt like there was no hope, he was there...waiting patiently for me.

adoption IS a beautiful thing.

it is beauty among the ugly.

so, maybe you've gotten the nudge?

maybe you feel like you've got room in your house for one more.

maybe you feel like you've got love in your heart for one more.

pursue that nudge.

because when you say yes to "one more", the orphan situation becomes "one less."

and friends, it's hard.  but i know one day i will be able to confidently say that it's worth it.

-if you're feeling like you want to help but know that adoption isn't for you, don't fret.

here's a few organizations that you can check out...helping comes in many forms-

Wiphan

147 million orphans

Amazima Ministries

Ordinary Hero

Children's Hope Chest

Love146

i'm happy to answer any adoption questions you've had.  leave a comment on this post and i will respond there as well.



good friends and british dramas.

i am tired today.  tired in a good way though.

tired from staying up entirely way too late with a good friend all weekend.

so, rather than the retreat post that i had planned, how about a recap with some instagram photos.

my brain can't think right now, so enjoy.

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hello there, scrumptious baby.  i will eat you.

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what?  you don't watch your favorite show while taking a #2?

kohen does.

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the back of our shirts from created for care (i heard there is still room in march if you want to go!)

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just catching up on some reading while i eat my breakfast.  no big deal.

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not getting anything done is okay when i have this baby swaddled in my arms.

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mr. anderson and i got to hang out in the exact same spot that we officially met, 10 years ago this past weekend.

i love him.  and i love the fact that he looks like he's 16 years old still.

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jenn and i stayed up late all 3 nights, so that she could get caught up on downton abbey (my new favorite show---PBS british drama). 

hanging with a good friend and a british drama?  totally worth the lack of sleep.

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and last but certainly not least...

baby sister loves biggest brother.

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i'm theandersoncrew on instagram if you'd like to follow along.