love is in the air

This, my friends, was the inspiration for my latest Sassy Sawdust party. But what I love, and what you are about to see, is that inspiration comes from collaborating minds. That's why I love having these parties so much! You can see from the pictures just how creative everyone can be! And, how one idea can bounce off one person and inspire others to use a technique they had never planned to use. It's brilliant!

So let me share with you some of the latest creations, modeled by some very lovely ladies.

Don't you love her Mary Engelbreit inspired heart? I've known this lovely lady since I was born. She is precious to my soul. And so fun to be around!

This is her biffle! And let me tell you, they are twins from otha mothas. I loved meeting this lady!! And don't you love her use of red and aqua?? Splendid.

This cutie patootie made a darling girly heart! And she's another of those friends who is precious to my heart. *sigh* :)

Oh my. This lovely lady took the heart to a whole new level. She is my handmade hero, first of all. And she inspired my theory on crafting. Come to a party and I'll share it with you. Don't you love how she sanded the edges? And of course, she brought her own ribbon and burlap flowers. Because she's awesome that way.

This one, oh she's a firecracker. The things that come out of this lovely lady's mouth will have you in stitches. She's as southern as southern is. And her shabby take on the heart made my heart smile. I could eat her, and her heart, with a spoon.

This, my friends, is one of my favorite lovely ladies on the earth. She is my yaya, my book clubbie, and a serial Sassy Sawdust attendee! I love her from the deepest part of my heart. *sniffle sniffle* Oh, and her daugther inspired her heart. She wanted color and polka dots. I'd say mama delivered! :)

And how about this cutie? We didn't get a picture of the creator because she claimed that at her age she shouldn't have to be photographed. Silly mama. She's a beauty, no matter her age. And so is her heart! I love the choice in ribbons!

And how about this sweet thang? See how one mind inspires another? I love how they are all alike and yet so different! This lovely lady I met from my teaching days, not so far behind me yet. She taught kindergarten. How can you not love a lady who loves the little ones? She's a doll.

And last, but certainly not least, a picture of one of my other favorite lady's hearts. This lady is what we coined a "triple dipper" because she is not just a teaching friend, or a mama friend, but a many places in life friend. And now she's also a serial Sassy Sawdust class member! I'm pretty sure she's just being nice, showing up over and over. But that's how much she loves me. And love is in the air....

inquiring minds want to know.

My son is very smart. I mean, I'm not bragging, he really is SMART. And he's got an incredibly sharp mind. I point this out because my mind is more what I like to call: FUZZY. I have so many things swirling through my brain at any given moment in a day, sometimes I have to literally say STOP! And make my head go silent. Truth.

Anyway, G was especially inquisitve today. Among the many questions he asked me?

While playing basketball in the driveway, mama is using her saw and sander in the garage: Mom? You know how some people have an extra finger? What's that finger called?

Anyone? Anyone? The only word that came to mind was a nubbin. BUT I'm pretty sure that just came from watching Friends with Chandler and his third nipple. Sooo, I kept my mouth shut. Which I know for many of you seems to be a feat in and of itself. Aren't you proud of me?

when life throws you a curve ball

Back when I was in college (ahem... 20 years ago), a book came out that sold like crazy. It was called Life's Little Instruction Book. It was small, fit in your hand, and had some basic life lessons, one per page. I don't recall the lesson number, but I remember perfectly one lesson in particular. It said this:

When someone asks you how you're doing, just say fine.

It may have gone on from there, or maybe my brain added the next part: They don't actually want to know about every detail of your day. At the time, I was not an unbeliever, but I definitely had nothing to do with God. And when I read that, I thought I had stumbled onto a goldmine. I began living that very statement.

It was only years down the road that I realized my error in believing my friends didn't really want to know about my day or who I am. It took having a friend literally ask me to "take off the mask" one day to realize that for all those years, I was wrong. I didn't have to appear happy or perfect to be likeable. And since then I've worked very hard to be real with the people I encounter in a day. I have no pretense. What you see is what you get with this girl. And I really like myself that way.

So today I want to lay something out before you that is going to be a real part of my journey. And I'm going to ask you to pray for me and my family. I hope you will.

My daughter has had scoliosis that was diagnosed by her pediatrician at her yearly check up at age 10. She was referred to an orthopedic doctor in Oklahoma City and we've been visiting him for 18 months now, getting x-rays taken, and monitoring her progress. In the beginning, it was "no big deal." "Not out of the ordinary." It was measuring a curve at 15 degrees. "Don't worry!" we were told. "It only becomes a problem when they are in the 30-40 degree range."

Six months later it was at 18 degrees. And six months later we were at 23 degrees. But today, when we went in, the mood had changed. He checked her back, had her lean over. And then he turned off the lights to share her x-ray with us. It showed an S shaped curve at the top of her back. Now there were two curvatures, one at 32 degrees and the other at 20 degrees. And now, we're not going to be seeing this doctor anymore. We need to go see a pediatric spine surgeon.

Whoa. What?!

We have now officially made the leap from "monitoring" to "surgery."

I worked hard to remain calm. I put my precious daughter into my car and made the long drive home. I swung by Starbucks just for her and then delivered her to school. And then I sat on my sofa with my husband and cried.

I want you to know here that I am scared. I'm apprehensive. But I'm also resting in the peace only a BIG GOD can provide. And MOSTLY, I'm trying to keep this all in perspective. And trust that we will be carried through this journey by friends and strangers whose prayers I covet. Will you please stand with me?

laughter is good for the soul

Oh boy. I have been knee deep in sawdust the past few days. In fact, I really believe I will be dreaming about cutting circles with my jig saw tonight. No joke. But no biggie, it's all in the name of crafting fun! I'm working on a few new ideas including a basketball (for all you Thunder fans out there), a baseball (for all the mamas like me who will spend hours in the heat this summer, all for the love of a little boy and "the game."), and a spring door hanger that is going to knock your socks off (no hints!). Yes, Sassy Sawdust is in full swing. And I am loving every minute of it.

The Man is the creative genius of the family. And of course he has LOTS of ideas to toss around. However, you should know that while he's genius, I'm "the filter" so never fear, we will NOT be crafting a neon yellow baseball. Ouch. Leave the colors to me, honey. :) love you! :)

Anyway, I came across something yesterday that I had seen once before. And while I'm in the business of growing my blog, I'm actually going to do something crazy. I'm going to send you to another blog. For this post only! :)

I started reading this and I began smiling. As I read on I started to chuckle, and by the end I was in full-on TEARS MIXED WITH LAUGHTER about how hysterical this situation is. So, I ask you to grab a kleenex, sit down, and enjoy. Laughter is good for the soul.

Check this out.

mittens, continued.

Oh my goodness, I had the best time yesterday. I had my second Sassy Sawdust party and we made the last of the fabulous mittens! Can I tell you how fun it's been? How much I've enjoyed spending time with ladies... friends... while making something I/we can enjoy for some time to come?

I want you to see what we made.

My daughter actually made this one! Sassy girl walkin' in her sassy mama's footsteps! :)

Aren't they all adorable?!?

You need to know something about me. I'm not satisfied with simple. So when I started staring at my original mitten the wheels began turning. And because my mind doesn't sit still well, I came up with a new idea! I made an add-on for my mitten: a heart! It looks so happy now, don't you agree?

There are big things in store soon for Sassy Sawdust, friends! I'm now booking parties for projects. If you are interested and would like more information, post below and I will get in touch! :)

Mitten Mania!

Last night I had my first Make and Take party. It was awesome! It was fun! And I had the best time. I thought I'd share some pictures we took of the projects everyone made. I did some lettering on a few of the signs, but I didn't catch the final pictures of a couple. :( Oh well, live and learn: take more pictures! :)

What I love most is that they all look different and each girl made her mitten the way she wanted it. Perfect.

My next and last mitten class is this Saturday (Jan. 19th) from 1-3 pm. If you don't follow me on facebook and would like to come, leave a note below and I'll give you details and directions! More fun to come!!!

Jillian: I don't like you.

I'm warning you now, this post has details which may be disturbing to some people. If you are easily offended, please, go find another blog to read this morning.

Now, on with the show.

I was reminded of a principle this morning. An idea by which all parents should live. And it reared it's ugly head right in the middle of a personal moment.

I woke up early today to work out. I'm a runner, as you know if you've read my blog. But currently I'm in the process of cross-training to make my legs stronger and hopefully, my time faster. So I got up at 6:00 a.m. to do a Jillian Michaels workout tape DVD that I have (did that just totally date me, or what?!). You should also know that this tape DVD is my nemesis. I love it and I hate it. It's a great workout and yet, my ENTIRE body hurts for like two days after I complete it.

Normally, I do it alone. Recently, I did it with my husband. He's STILL hurting. But I'm recovered enough that I knew I needed to srike while the iron was hot and workout with that damn Jillian. So I woke up early. And because I knew I'd be alone in those wee hours, I put on a sports bra and (yes!) just my underwear, which were boy shorts (just in case you were wondering). So here I am, half naked, when I turn on the tv. Apparently the power flashed overnight and it took FOREVER for the cable box to fire back up. And while I was waiting I checked my facebook on my phone. Which then made me laugh (a couple of funny videos got posted) and the next thing I know it's 6:30. Dang, I don't do morning well. I can kill time like nobody's business, especially without coffee.

So I head down the hall and wake up my son (yes, still half naked). And I head back into the living room where I start up the video. Jillian created her videos to do a sequence of cardio, strength, and abs. So wouldn't you know that about the time I'm on my second round of cardio, my son walks in. He's intrigued. He wants to join in. He starts doing the lunges, and the jumping jacks, all while I'm raising my voice and telling him to GO GET READY! And that's when my lesson was learned. G walks over to the sofa, BEHIND ME. He sits down, presumably to put his shoes on? And now I'm doing butt kicks.

Can you see what's coming? Because I did.

G says to me, while giggling: Wow, mom! Your butt is jiggling all over the place!

What's the principle learned here? Let's try a few:
1. Don't ever let ANYONE in your family get behind you while you're bouncing if you're not prepared to hear how you jiggle.
2. Don't wear a bra and panties alone to work out in your living room, especially if you MAY have an audience.
3. Wake up an hour before anyone else in your house if you want to work out in your underwear.

I hope you can learn from my mistake.

meet the ladies

I haven't been holding out on you, I promise. It's just that the girls have been busy growing. Eating bugs, playing in the yard, and growing. And let's be perfectly honest, I have a crappy camera. OK, technically it's a GREAT video camera and an okay photo taker. So, I was excited to have some good light and slow moving birds to capture these recent photos. The pictures make me giggle so I hope you like them, too. Please meet our flock from the Frakes Family Farm:

Beaker

Dot

Eva

Flo

Pearl

They are now officially 4 months old and getting closer to lay-bearing age! In the next couple of months we expect to start finding some yummy eggs in their nests. And you KNOW you'll get some pictures of THAT! :)

meet my new biffle

I feel young inside. Which makes the outside of me, all wrinkly and soft, feel conflicted. And one of the reasons I feel young is credited to my little sisters, who keep me up on the "latest" lingo and stuff. So when you see the title "meet my new biffle," you should know that a biffle is a bff, a bestie, a good old fashioned BEST FRIEND.

Okay, technically I can't call this new biffle a best FRIEND, because it's an inanimate object. But it's the next best thing to a person. Because it meets many of my needs. Like my need to create and my need to build and my need to do it myself.

Meet: the saw. And the belt sander.

Yes, we met yesterday. And it was love at first cut. I had the best time. They met my needs, and the rest is history.

And of course, we had a little fun, practicing. I had to get my settings just how I like them. And then we moved on to the big project.

I have been wanting a new door hanger for winter. I have cute signs for Christmas and Valentine's, but nothing for that empty snowy time of year in between. So, what did I do? I got out my new jig saw and made something! Actually two somethings! One for my front door and one for the door from my kitchen to the driveway, which acts as a front door to people who know us well. People who know they can knock on our kitchen door or just walk in. Because our friends are like family.

So here's the shape I freehanded and cut:

And then I painted both of them with robin's egg blue spray paint. I ended up doing polka dots on one and chevron on the other. Easy peasy. If not somewhat time consuming.

And this, my dear reader is the project I will be teaching, here in my home next week. Details to come!

Who's with me??

Growing pains

Weeeellllll, it appears I can't get my poop in a group. So I'm changing my blog name, but keeping the old address for now. So I don't lose people along the way. :)

So, let me introduce to you: Sassy Sawdust, formerly 39 is the new 40. And we all know why the name needs to change. I started this blog last year (2012) while I was (still am) 39. I wanted to start a blog and when I sat down to tinker around, I realized that I needed a name. Fast. And out of my silly brain came "39 is the new 40." However, it was short sighted, since I won't be 39 forever. :)

And here I sit, teetering on the edge of 40, dreading May 13th like the dickens, and still loving the blog. And crafting. So something had to change. And it wasn't my birthday (for obvious reasons).

WELCOME! Enjoy the show, which is my life, full of sparkles and sawdust.

chevron fun

I'm toying with an idea. I've had too many people to ignore the idea tell me that I should teach crafting classes. Would you come?

Let me show you something I did last week. I tested the waters. My sister had a bridal shower and I was able to see what it would be like to "teach a crafting class." I had made this for my own kitchen, just to have a place for my weekly menu. And then friends started to notice. And say how they'd like one, too! And the seed was planted.

So let me show you the SIMPLE thing we made:

We started with these simple items. A picture frame from Hobby Lobby, fabric, and some flowers from both the crafting aisle and the scrapbook aisle in Hobby Lobby. Bring along a pair of scissors, hot glue, and some spray adhesive, and you're in business!

Then we cut the fabric to fit, used the spray adhesive to adhere the fabric to the backing, and popped it in the frame.

After using the hot glue to adhere the flowers to both the frame and the glass, we had a darling "make and take" dry erase board!

So here begins my public announcement that I am considering the concept, based on demand, to teach "crafting" classes. And now I ask you, dear reader, would you come? Would you, if you had this option in your area, take a class to make and take a craft?

change is good.

When I was a little girl, I spent my summers at home. There were no summer programs in the 1970's. So my summer memories are of my parents leaving for work at 7:45 a.m. and returning at 5:15 p.m. I spent the days with my big sister. And I also spent a lot of time alone.

circa 1973


Beth and I are 6 years apart in age. While I was writing on the chalkboard in my room (a sign of things to come), she was talking on the phone. For all those hours, we interacted sporadically and spent a lot of time doing things alone. This fact makes us both sad, now that we're adults and the bestest of friends. But it is what it is. And we did have one activity that brought us together! Swimming. We would go to the pool that was shared by 5 families in our cul-de-sac and spend afternoons in the sun. We returned as a bronze beauty (her) and a lobster (me). Sunscreen wasn't big in the 1970's either.

Many days while I was sitting alone in my room with tin foil on the windows to keep out the hot Oklahoma sun, I dreamed. I dreamed BIG. I would get out some paper, draw up a new floorplan to my room, and put the plan into motion. By the time my parents came home, I was sitting in a whole new room. I moved the bed, the dressers, the desk, all by myself. I'd make my bed, and clean and organize. And the new look would last a whole day. Or two. And then when the newness wore off, I'd let it get dirty. REALLY dirty. But that's another blog post.

So, today I want you to know that CHANGE is good. I've been making some plans for 2013, and I felt like my blog needed an update. An overhaul. I've started with the look. It's got some glitches, which annoys me. But I'll get them figured out eventually. And right about that time, I'll reveal my new name. It was inevetiable, you know. I won't be 39 for much longer. So this year, I launch newness. And I sincerely hope you'll enjoy coming along for the ride with me. :)

more or less

I've made some New Year's Resolutions. Have you? Do you ever actually follow them through to completion? I'm a list checker, so I'm pretty good at making things happen. Hence the crafting. Once I dream it, it's only a matter of time before it comes to life. So this morning, I'd like to share my resolutions with you. Maybe you can help spur me on later in the year if I'm slacking. Here goes!

I'd like to do MORE:
praying
reading
running
weight training
learning to use my saws
listening
encouraging
writing letters and mailing them
volunteering

And LESS:
complaining
talking
cleaning (oh wait, that's not possible... UNLESS we bring back our favorite: JEN!)
facebook
laziness

In short, I vow to serve others: through prayer, my time, my energy, and my heart. I promise to listen. To God, to my husband, my children, and my friends. I will listen for the still, small voice that tells me to GO. The one that spurs me on from my heart to my stomach and makes me sick until I follow it's leading. I will share, encourage, and be REAL with the people around me, so that my life bears witness to a big God who loves me in spite of my shortcomings and mistakes.

I leave you with my favorite scripture as we all enter this new year, full of hope and promise. May you be blessed in unexpected ways this year, 2013.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." -Jeremiah 29:11-13

May we all seek in 2013.