PRINTABLE Spring Note Cards and Place Cards

As we celebrate Spring and especially Easter this weekend, I have a little gift for you :)

Thought you might enjoy some cheery note cards... to wish others a blessed and joyful Easter... or spring!  (these cards are standard 4 bar size... if you want to find some pretty envelopes to put them in...)
And some little place cards... perhaps for the Easter table!  (or could be cute for journaling/ scrapbooking pages...)

Hope you enjoy...

DOWNLOAD NOTECARDS HERE

****As always...File and finished product for personal use only... not for resale or profit of any kind.

DOWNLOAD PLACE CARDS HERE

****As always...File and finished product for personal use only... not for resale or profit of any kind.



Blessings,

Submission

I feel like one of the themes of my life these days is submission.... God keeps calling my attention to it lately.  You see, I'm learning submission one piece of my life at a time.  Five years ago God taught me submission in my marriage, and it has brought me amazing freedom.  Two years ago God taught my husband and me submission with our plans in life on a larger scale... and it has brought us amazing peace.  But today I'm struggling with submission on a daily basis in my home.  How do I lay down my daily life?  How do I give up my control... of my kids, of my schedule, of my work, of my stress?

I was talking to God about it the other day....

"Lord there is so much turmoil in life right now.... so much to fight against and resist.  I'm always struggling.  I never feel at ease.  There are always concerns, stresses, trials.  I'm always exhausted, confused, losing ground.  I don't know what else to do but keep fighting.... because if I don't, I'll drown....  I'll drown.  I'll die.....  Oh.  I'm supposed to die?   So is that what this is all about?  Me dying?  Me dying so that I can be raised to life anew in you?  I think I understand... But Lord, I don't know how to stop striving.  I don't know how to just stop kicking and let myself sink down....down into the calm quiet dark of you.  It scares me.  I don't know what's down there.  How do I know that you will bring me back to life in you?  Trust... I know.  But it's so hard.  Help me Lord.  Help me to trust you enough to stop kicking and fighting life.... Teach me to trust you, Lord... help me to submit."

I think I'm beginning to understand what I need to do...  now just to do it.
Definitely something to contemplate... have some more conversations with God about... as I go into this meaningful weekend.

Blessings to you this Easter season,

Spring Photo Session

I'm proud of myself! I actually got my Spring blog header up on time!  I think it's because I was looking forward to making a cheery pink and pastels header... I love Spring :) 

Last Friday, the sun came out and lit up our house.  Even though I had a busy day ahead... my parents were coming to visit and I NEEDED to clean... I knew I had to take the opportunity to shoot some pics on the kiddos for my new header.  So I put clean clothes on them... they usually run around in their underwear a good portion of the day... and quickly picked up their room.  The walls in their room are a perfect shade of pale pink and I knew they would be the perfect backdrop for some spring photos.  I also had this image in my head that I saw on Pinterest once... it was of two little girls laying on their backs with their hair hanging down over the edge of a bridge, I think.  It was darling and I knew I had to do that with my girls.  Well, there's no bridge in our house, so I figured if I double stacked their mattresses that would give enough height to let their long locks dangle down.  It worked!  And I love the results :)

Then V came in.  He started biting the girls' toes.  It was awesome. 

Spring it here... full of hope and new beginnings.  I'm going to let every little blossom and bud bring me joy.  I'm going to take each ounce of beauty as a sweet little gift from God... It's going to be a good Spring :)

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
   night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
   no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
   their words to the ends of the world." 

Psalm 19:1-4

"But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
   or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
   or let the fish in the sea inform you.
 Which of all these does not know
   that the hand of the LORD has done this?
In his hand is the life of every creature
   and the breath of all mankind." 

Job 12:7-10

Blessings,

Something's Happened...

...now that's real-life :)

I've been thinking lately....about my life, my home, my ambitions, my hopes, my responsibilities.  Somewhere in that list, this blog fits in.  In a way it's a part of all of those. 

I've been thinking about how my blog has taken a little direction shift in the past 6 months or so...  It's been good.  I've been doing printables and some other creative inspirational junk.  I've had a great response and it's been really wonderful and affirming to share my creativity with you all.  But somehow along the road, I have felt myself withdraw.  I have a tendency to pull away and keep the "real me" tucked safely back.  I struggle with what the purpose of my blog is...  some days it feels like "all business" and I don't want that.

I want my blog to be... me.  And not in a cliche' kind of way.  I want this blog to be me forming a relationship with you (that sounds cheesy, too...but hear me out :)   I want to come along side you, share a decorating tip, make you smile, and encourage you as you sift through life.  I want you to find me helpful, like a close friend who loans a good book to you.... like a sister-in Christ who speaks the words you were needing to hear...

But I also want to be open and honest in my real daily life with you so that I can be held accountable.  You see when I pull back, in real life... just like I have on this blog... I cut the strings of accountability.  I have such a tendency to do this.  When life gets rocky, confusing, draining... or even when something really amazing happens that's kinda personal,  I shrink back.  I don't really know why.  I guess it's just easier for me... it keeps me from being vulnerable, I suppose. 

But we are called to more.. all of us... in life on-line or off.  Christ did not bring me here to shut my mouth in fear, laziness, or confusion.  But in him, I am made strong and able to do all things!  This I know, and I will cling to it :)

So...  I will continue designing... continue posting lost of Printables (because I think it's just so much fun!!), but I'm going to try and not hold back my heart from you.  So many times I think.. "I should share these thoughts on my blog"...  then I don't.  Or when life is rough and kinda not the prettiest...  I look around at my house and think "I can't post anything... where would I even find a clean spot to take a  picture!?"   So instead of sharing something "real",  I post a Printable... It looks good, I look good, no one is the wiser that my day is a wreck!

Anyway... we are called to encourage each other, open our mouths and speak truth.  Life isn't just about me getting through my day...   It's about what I can do and say to bring others into a fuller knowledge and a closer relationship with our God and his son, Jesus Christ.  Will you join me?

Fabric Washi Tape Strips Tutorial

 
Yeah, yeah, I know... I make alot of "fake" washi tape.  But it's so cute!  And it provides such charm, color, cuteness, whimsy, blah, blah, blah to anything and everything! So forgive me :)

I just lately tried out my idea of making this fabric washi tape... and low and behold it actually worked! yipee.
Think of all those fabric scraps you have... you could make piles of different prints of washi tape with it!!! 
oh, glorious day. 

YOU WILL NEED:
-fabric
-scissors OR rotary cutter, ruler, and cutting board
-3M Super 77 Spray Adhesive - I am in love with this stuff... I've used it forever on EVERYTHING
you can find it a number of places... I buy it at Lowes.
-pinking shears
-wax paper

WHAT YOU DO:
It's super easy.
1. cut fabric into strips... I made them 3/4" wide
2. then cut the strips with the pinking shears into various lengths of "tape"
3. turn them upside down on cardboard or wax paper
4. spray GENEROUSLY with 3M Super 77(...outside or in your garage. duh. )
5. use immediately for best stick OR place on wax paper for use later! 

** I realized afterwards that it might be best to iron your fabric before you begin... the creases make the tape not want to lie flat... obviously. 

Enjoy!

Blessings,

Silly Me... I forgot to show you the new stuff in my store!

Oh, wow.  That's so typical of me these days.  I added A BUNCH of new stuff to my store awhile ago, and I always meant to tell you!  But alas,  my brain is mush.   So... better late than never... take a peek!

These are just a few of the new additions... Almost all of these have color variations.  I also added color variations to many of my old popular designs.  

AND... enjoy a discount... use the code NEWDESIGNS15 to get 15% off :)  LOVE YA!
 

 

VISIT MY STORE : AMYJ DELIGHTFUL HERE :)

Blessings,

Hello Stranger :)

I feel like a stranger to you all!  Sorry about that :)  You know how it goes... life gets busy, life gets kinda stressful and something has to give...  and that's been my blog lately!  Better that than something else though, right?
As I fight the busyness, my blackboard by our office/school room continually reminds me:

Well, I have a few things I'd like to show you...
before Valentine's day,  I received a package in the mail.  It was from a sweet friend of mine that I got to know through doing some design work for her.   Well, I had recently finished a project for her where I designed some V-day goodies... a note card and various labels...  some really unique items mixing a watercolor feel with a 1940s/World War II and airmail kind of theme... all in pale pink and gray.  She has really fun taste!   Anyway... she, in all her sweetness, sent me a package full of all the goodies she used my designs for!  Oh, it was SO FUN to see it all in place and looking so pretty :)

So I wanted to show you...  Thanks again Rosalyn-Sue :)

Oh, one more thing that I wanted to pass along...
I found this verse yesterday, and it just made me smile :)

"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. " Isaiah 40:11

If that isn't exactly what a tired and weary mom needs to hear...  He, my gentle and loving Heavenly Father, cares about our little ones and us moms.  He knows we need a little extra care and tenderness.  I'm soaking in that verse today :) 

Blessings,