Crafty Productivity

It's been a rough beginning of the year for us, not gunna lie. We can't seem to shake illness at our house no matter how much we supplement and eat right. Still, I hate just doing nothing, even when I feel rotten. I like to be up and doing things which isn't always a conducive mindset when you just need to stop and rest. Keeping this in mind, I've been trying to find little projects that don't expend a lot of energy but still allow me to feel as though I've been productive. So as I sit here coughing typing at my computer, I feel that swell of excitement over a project I found on pinterest.com and attempted just this afternoon during naptime.

Super cool floating book-shelf

Neat, right? After wading through lots of websites and blogs, I finally found a gal who had put together a very detailed tutorial that looked easy enough to follow. You can find it here.

So! First thing's first. I needed a cool looking book for my shelf base. I wanted something old and a little larger than she used so it could support more variety of books. I loaded Squirt up in the car and we headed to Savers. Now Savers is not my favorite store. In fact, I usually feel like I need to dip myself in a huge tub of disinfectant after shopping there. But, they aren't joking when they boast about their great prices and I've found this to be especially true of their book section.  I scored three large, old hardback books for $2 ea.

This book, Great Houses of Britain, caught my eye instantly. With the cover off, it was in great condition and just the right size. The only problem...I didn't want to turn this fabulous book into a shelf. 

So I kept looking and came across these interesting Civil War books. I had hoped to make two shelves so this seemed to be my best option. Just like the first book I had found, these were in perfect condition and were a really rich brick red color. I probably shouldn't have skimmed through the first volume after we got home because, bookworm/history junkie that I am, I ended up wanting to read the whole thing. I knew I would be desecrating this poor book and I went and got myself attached anyway. Stupid, stupid, stupid! It was my recollection that I have too many books already that snapped me back to my mission of creating the shelf. Still, I didn't like what I was about to do to my new book.

Building My Book Shelf

Step 1: Measure and mark the middle of the last page. Ok, painless enough.
Step 2: Cut out a slot for the L-bracket. Check (No big deal, right? It's just a few pages out of the index...)

Sorry book!

Step 3: Cut a piece of the cover out so the book can be mounted flush with the wall *gulp* No turning back now. Be strong Chelsea, be strong.

I think a little piece of me just died inside.

Step 4: Screw 2 short wood screws into the pages.  The tutorial encouraged hand screwing but I used my drill. I love using my drill. It makes me feel way handier than I actually am.

Great, now I really am a book murderer. :-(

Step 5: Apply glue to the page with the screws and make sure to put some around the bracket. The tutorial used Elmer's glue but I prefer E6000 for it's heavy duty hold.

Step 6: Shut book and put something heavy on top to help the binding process. Leave overnight.

Two heavy cd boxes on top.

So there you have it! I'll post pictures as soon as the glue dries and I can mount the bracket! 

A year and a half later...

Time flies when you have a busy one year old. It flies even faster when they turn 2! All the sudden those slightly annoying comments once made by well meaning people at church about how I'll wish he never started crawling/walking/talking are becoming a little less obnoxious to me and contain a ring of truth. However, I am very happy to say that, while I must admit to occasional frustration with these milestones, I absolutely love being able to take walks with my boy and, more than anything else, I love to hear his sweet little voice chatter away at me. He's always been a pretty quiet kid and it wasn't until he was about 22 mo that we started to wonder if he struggled more than he should with words.

Thankfully the wonderful state of Arizona will send a speech therapist to your house to do a free comprehensive testing of your child's learning capabilities. We were blessed to have a wonderful Christian gal come out and put my fears to rest. She was very encouraging and let me know that Luke was a little behind his contemporaries but not by much. So with that relieving piece of information we just watched and waited for the inevitable barrage of words that was sure to come.

Now at 28 mo, we're really are hearing a plethora of words and sentences even. He repeats everything until we acknowledge what he's trying to tell us. This can be a challenge since he still is very "dutchy." My favorite thing that Luke says and that I will miss terribly when he grows out of is his version of "Thank You." which is  "Manoose!" Who knows how he came to the conclusion that those two sounded similar but as "th"s are pretty challenging for a 2 year old and the simple fact that he's so stinkin' cute, I don't have the heart to correct him just yet.

We look forward to what 2012 will bring. More time with our Luke, strengthened friendships, new ministry opportunities, and hopefully, Lord willing, the growth of our little family. We wish you the very best this coming year and hope that it is full of the richest blessings!

All Our Love,

The Withems

Luke's Western Room

So it's been awhile but the creative juices are flowing once again! I'm not sure why I ever chose to do an airplane theme for the nursery when I clearly have more ideas (and the desire) for decorating "cowboy" style! So now that my little Kidney Bean is 1 year old, he's finally getting his nursery done! Better late than never, I guess!

Here are some of the ideas I've been working on. I don't think I spent more than $5 on any of them which my hubby really appreciates!

My test run on the stencil I made from a photo I found online. Enlarged the photo to 8x10 size, printed, traced on top of clear scrapbook page covers, cut out, and voila! Tomorrow I will hopefully stencil this around the wall of his room! Yeehaw!

Frame from the dollar store, painted red, cut out pictures from calendar(also dollar store) and glued rope onto each side! Easy-peasy!

Three unfinished boards that I brown-washed (mix a little water with brown paint) , glued two boards together and then screwed the star hooks (Hobby Lobby $2 each)on to create a nice rustic looking plaque. Lastly, the Ranch sign was done with a wood burning kit that I bought long before I had any idea what I'd ever do with it! I plan to connect them with rope before hanging them on the wall.

Loving our church, loving our community

The state of our church has been on my mind lately. Michael and I stepped down from Kid's Worship this June to pursue a ministry that has been much on our hearts and allows us to also be apart of a Sunday school class which hasn't been possible since we first were married. Our calling to this new ministry began 3 years ago when we had our first year without a Family Fun Night- our Halloween alternative for our church members and community. This was no small outreach by any means! Our whole church banded together. Young and old alike, volunteered their time and put forth a huge effort to love those who would come to our campus - no less than 1000 people each year!

For several reasons this large outreach was cancelled. We and many of our peers were dismayed by the announcement since we had grown up at the church and there had always been a Family Fun Night. It was something we loved and looked forward to each year. Since that time (2007) we have talked often with our friends of bringing that ministry opportunity back but could never realize this...

So began the planting of seeds.

Since then our desires for Northwest Community Church have grown beyond just one outreach opportunity. Our hearts desire more emphasis on the "Community" and we have heard the our elders say much the same from the pulpit. A guest speaker, Dr. Garrison, asked us one Sunday, "What are you doing to reach 85053?" and that question struck me. What are we doing? Does our neighborhood even know we exist??? Do they drive by, completely oblivious of us? I might point out, (forgive me if this is not true of you) that we have become oblivious of them as well.

Since 2007 we have lost a pastor, gained a new one and now just recently sent him off to a new ministry downtown. While we're not without leadership, (we still have several godly men as our elders) our momentum seems to have been hindered. Now, empty seats and the general sleepiness of our church truly could be the result of summertime vacationing (I hope it is!) but I'm concerned that with the recent loss of one well loved pastor there may be disenchantment brooding. I've occasionally fallen victim to this since Kent left, but have realized this week that I belong to a church that is loved and cherished by God, certainly no less now than before. How can I look dolefully upon Her because of the departure of one man? Sure, I may not know who is preaching each Sunday, but I don't go to church to be shocked and awed by a man. I go to worship my God, I go to learn and to serve His people! We fear inviting others into our midst while we are under going change because even we don't know what to expect. But here's what I'm starting to wrap my head around. Should those we invite be won over by our love rather than by a pastor's eloquence?

More than ever, our body, our family, needs to unite and realize our purpose. Our lives are not to be lived for ourselves or our clubs or our friends, but are to be about spread our joy to those who have none. How can we do this unless we look out across 43rd Avenue and Bell Rd.? For those who won't come to us, musn't we go to them? We have a Judea and Samaria to reach and it's a lot closer than we care to acknowledge. Let's be about what we say we're about!

It's Spring!

So in honor of this BE-A-Uuuu-tiful  spring weather, I changed my layout. It's a little louder than what I would normally choose but it looked as happy and cheerful as I feel right now!

We're in Yucaipa, California preparing to celebrate our grandmother's 80th birthday tomorrow with the entire Withem clan! Grandma and Grandpa recently moved into a new home and it is so sweet! It has an airy cottage charm due to it's older style of architecture and Grandma's floral decorations. There are several large windows in every room making it bright and serene in the light of this quiet afternoon. Tomorrow will most likely be crazy due to the massive amounts of family members coming and going but knowing this group it won't matter one bit because we all love spending time together laughing and teasing each other.

On Sunday afternoon we'll be headed to Santa Monica for the afternoon with "Al." She's one of my dear friends from the ranch and it's been years since we've seen each other! I'm hopeful that this trip will include and visit to the beach because isn't that what you ought to do when you're this close to the ocean??? I have no idea what Luke will think of the waves and the sand. It will be interesting to see if he thinks it's funny or if he won't care about anything but getting his hands on some yummy sand.

Well speak of the angel! He's awake and my day must commence! Ta-ta for now!

Turning a page

It's a new day with no mistakes in it! Thank you God for sleep and for a happy morning with both my boys!

Avoid dark colors to disguise your body's shape. All people who know that you gave birth understand your extra weight and lack of muscles' tone, but especially because there is nothing to hide. You have your baby in your arms and this fact is enough to celebrate dressing in bright colors that cheers up your spirit, increasing your well-being.

Ha! I laughed at this when I saw it. Haven't been doing too much laughing the last few days. I feel...low, or maybe melancholy would be the right word. Bright colors don't do much to cheer me up because there doesn't seem to be any bright clothing that fit my big post partum body. I know I need to lose weight and I've known it for a while now. My mom never has any problem jumping on the subject of "my health" and I know it's because she cares about my well-being. But sometimes it just makes me feel beaten up by an overwhelming and unconquerable problem. Yesterday I saw myself in a mirror at the store and saw something truly hideous. I can't believe that I have become that girl.

I've never had super confidant self esteem. I remember thinking I was fat in highschool. Most of my girlfriends wore size 4s and shopped in the junior section whereas I was an 8 and my curves warranted shopping in "Misses". Oh to be an 8 again! It will mostly likely never happen.

So on Resurrection Sunday, where are my thoughts? On the cross, where my savior died? On the tomb that he abandoned when he conquered death? No, my mind is fighting every distraction imaginable. Usually it's only Luke's antics keeping me from giving the message my undivided attention. But today I was noticing the girls in front of me...their hair, their clothes, their skinny legs that could pull off all the cute short dresses designed for the perfect Arizona Springtime.

"It is all vanity!" my common sense screams at me. The truth has been ingrained in my heart so that I might not sin against my Father. I don't wish to be ignorant of His truth but I do wish to end this neverending battle between my favorite passage in 1 Peter and my stupid self-pity. I know better! I just know better than to wallow in defeat! Am I not a daughter of the Most High God? Did He not choose me to receive His inheritance? Did He not die for my sinful self so I would never be seperated from Him? YES! YES! and YES!

And yet, my heart still hurts. I feel unlovable and unwanted. Michael certainly is not a source of this pain. He never fails to love me or show me that he does desire me, "the wife of his youth." So it must be me. It must be this idol that beats me down as I lift it up.

It helps to write this out. It helps to use "pen and paper" to sort out my thoughts. This has been a jumble of emotion stirring in my heart, yearning to be let loose. Here it has been released, without any pain to anyone but myself as I realize my own depravity and shallowness. I am relieved that my Savior rose from the grave. He has redeemed even me and I want so desperately to feel Him hold me in His arms and tell me that I'm loved and worth the pain. I know He tells me He loves me in every blessing I see in life. My beautiful son. My husband who tenderly cares for me. My parents who are now my best friends after years of bitterness and anger. The list goes on. I am blessed and I am of value.

Sorry for the ranting for whoever it is that might read this. I needed to get to this conclusion. If you stuck with me through the worst of the above,... thanks.