meet the dog and cat

In my last post I shared about the new additions to our family and how I felt about our acquisitions...and I said I would post a picture...well, here you are! Their first picture together!

Also, I get to announce our kitty's name! The hubbs picked Suri Katherine...so we have Muri and Suri :) Yes, I know we are awesome...

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

a dog and a cat

For our 3 year anniversary, the Hubbs and I decided to get a kitten...so naturally, the week before our anniversary, I brought home a puppy. Muri had a hurt eye, so we knew she would be blind her right eye...but we did not know that she would need to have the eye removed...so I brought home a one eyed Chihuahua Whippet puppy...she can be sweet, when she is not trying to bite your face off...I know she will grow out of it, and it is hard not to wish her puppy years away.

Muri is already much bigger than this...and the sock monkey no longer exists :) or should I say .)

So we (or maybe I) decided to go ahead and get a kitty, too, because that was the plan all along...she is still unnamed, but we lovingly refer to her as Kitty Kitty or Meow Bucket. She is super friendly and needy (meaning, she meows for 30 min. whenever she is left alone before she can occupy herself). She is a brown/gray tabby and is super playful.
Muri and Kitty Kitty have not been able to officially meet...we are worried Kitty Kitty will claw Muri's one eye out...and that Muri will bite Kitty Kitty too hard...

All in all...it feels like I have actual children...in the mornings, when I feed them and they both need my attention or when I am holding one and the other follows me whining/meowing, I feel like a mother with small children...and it's kind of funny. I have realized that there is no way I can be a working mother.

I have also learned that biting puppies are very hard things to have patience with...it's a miracle that I still have all my fingers, jewelry, and the diamond in my engagement ring :)

But, in these tiny creatures, I see and feel God's goodness and love...I know that may be weird to think about...but their little heartbeats and personalities...God really did show-off when He made so many different types of animals...all to show His glory and for us to enjoy...and when I look at our puppy and kitty...that thought is the only thing that makes me not feel crazy for bringing them into our home :)

I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
They tell of the power of your awesome works—
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.

The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
All your works praise you, Lord;
your faithful people extol you.
They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
and faithful in all he does.

The Lord upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.

{Psalm 145}

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

More Coke

More Coke from onetimeblind on GodTube.

If you have some time, I highly recommend this skit that our teens (and youth sponsors) enjoyed this weekend at SNU Extravaganza. So much truth presented in the simplest way...

How many times have we squandered our gifts because we wanted someone else's....seriously...we are so foolish. Luckily, God gives us gifts regardless of our shortcomings and allows us to participate in His beautiful and exciting plan...God, help me to appreciate and treasure my 8 oz Coke.

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

be kind

Incidents happen all the time where we have the choice to be kind and thoughtful or harsh and a meanie head...I hate when others choose the latter...and I am ashamed when I choose to be a meanie head, too...but a simple kind word after you have been a meanie head is appreciated, even if you are never told that it was.

Just a thought.

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

love through mistakes

I was reading Jesus Calling, a devotional book, this morning...and today's entry was such a great reminder of God's love for us through our short comings:

Don't be so hard on yourself. I can bring good even out of your mistakes. Your finite mind tends to look backwards, longing to undo decisions you have come to regret. This is a waste of time and energy, leading only to frustration. Instead of floundering in the past, release your mistakes to Me. Look to Me in trust, anticipating that My infinite creativity can weave both good choices and bad into a lovely design.

Because you are human, you will continue to make mistakes. Thinking that you should live an error-free life is symptomatic of pride. Your failures can be a source of blessing, humbling you and giving you empathy for other people in their weaknesses. Best of all, failure highlights your dependence on Me. I am able to bring beauty out of the morass of your mistakes. Trust Me, and watch to see what I will do.

{Romans 8:28, Micah 7:7}

I have seen His faithfulness through my mistakes in big ways in my life...knowing that He will redeem whatever silly things I do as long as I am committing my life to Him is so freeing! I hope you can rest in that today.

Much love,

Emily Elizabeth





painting curtains

Alas, here is what I am talking about when I say that I "painted curtains".

My camera does not really do them justice...

I had seen some friends' projects where they pained striped on curtains...and then I saw some Pintrest posts of others stenciling designs on curtains...and I decided, I wanted to go for it. I have had a package of Ikea curtains unopened for over a year...and I knew they would be perfect for what I wanted...I didn't want curtains that took over the design of the entire room...and I didn't want drab curtains that were almost the same shade as the wall color in our bedroom...so painting them was the PERFECT compromise!

I started with these, simple RITVA curtains from Ikea...I have a kind of burlap color which is not available online...

I also have one small window and a double window in my bedroom...so I needed three curtains. Ikea curtains are made where you cut them to the length you need for your window and then use iron-on binding to make a hem at the bottom...so, I just used the access from both curtains to make a third. It worked out perfectly (and may have been a Divine blessing :))

So, once I sewed and cut the appropriate pieces, I made a stencil. I am a HUGE fan of clover shapes...and since I will probably never get the Van Cleef clover I so desire, 

I decided that the print of my curtains should look like it :) So I searched Pinterest until I found this:

I went into Photoshop and enlarged the image so that one clover would take up an entire 8.5 x 11 page...and that gave me these:

The hardest part of making these stencils was figuring out what to cut out and what to leave...I guess my brain just doesn't work that way :) The stencil on the left was the best.

Then I gathered my supplies...painters tape, a drop cloth, stencil sponges and acrylic paint...I ended up using two 8 fluid oz. bottles of white paint for all three curtains.

Then I got to taping. I would do this inside if you can.

And then I got to painting...making sure to fill in any blank spots on the clover outline left by the stencil.

After letting each curtain dry, I hung them up in our room...and absolutely adore how it looks! When it is day time, the light comes through and the design is a dark outline. 

At night, the white stands out, letting me dream about one day getting a Van Cleef clover. Hey, a girl can dream!

Now we just need my quilt on the bed and some decor on the walls...it's coming together...verrryyy slowly...but I like that it is all very intentional.

Another small design element that I really wanted to try was to use matte and gloss paint to create a design on our night stands.

It didn't work quite like I thought...but that is a story for another day...

Thanks for sharing my fun with curtains...let me know if you have any questions!

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

love through resurrection

Have you ever thought what would have happened if Christ decided that He didn't want to come back from the dead?

I wonder what kind of temptations the evil one put upon Him to try to discourage Him...maybe he told Jesus that we weren't worth it...that all of the sin that He took on for us would not prevent us from turning away from Him...I wonder if the evil one played some events that are happening today for Jesus to view (not that I think the devil has that kind of power)...but if we believe that God is omniscient, then surely He knew what His world would do without embracing His sacrifice...

But the story of Christ is one full of hope...and that story continues today...with the hope that we all carry with us...to see our families and friends living lives that are surrendered to God...to see God   provide in mighty ways...to feel the peace and joy of His presence on a daily basis...and I believe Jesus hopes for us all...He hopes we will finally quit trying to figure it out on out own, and will embrace His resurrection! That same hope He went to the cross for is the same hope He calls us with today...

Thank You for always hoping, and choosing not to give up on me, Dear Lord!

Every year I reflect on my First True Love...and I fall deeper in love with Him...what are you learning about Our Sweet Savior this year?

need some good, fully focused music to reflect on Our Savior's resurection? Check out Under the Radar's Easter Special!

Much love + HE IS RISEN!
Emily Elizabeth