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Last year, 2010, I focused on the word ENRICH. I sought ways to enrich my experiences as a mother, wife and artist.

I tackled my biggest fear, the sewing machine. I took time to give back to the community through MOPS. I stitched together important relationships in my family. It was a great year!

Onto, 2011!

My one word this year…Remember.

I want to remember the greatest love story ever told, God’s Word. I want to remember those in need. I want to remember what the past has taught me about my future. I want to remember snowy windburnt cheeks and gappy Kool-Aid stained smiles.

Happy New Year,

Jess

Happy New Year!

I meant to sit down and write about my New Year’s Resolution Word for 2011. But instead, I found myself drawn to reflect on the past year.

Below are 10 projects from 2010 that I had fun doing. Some were easy, some were life-changing and most were somewhere in between. The text in orange will lead you to a blog article that originally published each project.

1. Hanging Ice Blocks

2. Wool Y0-Yo Pin

3. Living with Lindsay’s $5 Challenge (in which, I learned to sew with a machine)

4. Family Cookbook

5. Nester’s Mantel Challenge

6. Mid-Wife Kits

7. Tiered Plates

8. P90X Challenge (so sorry, you all have to see my workout clothes!)

9. Creating my Office

10. Co-founding Shabby Mamas with 4 of my friends

Hope you had a great 2010!

Love,
Jess

We ate cookies everyday, for over a week.

A sparkly new sign, made it into my Christmas decor. (Hand painted by my fellow Shabby Mama, Andrea.)

The felt “board” was laid out with our Velcro Nativity set.

My sil, Carly, gave all the sils a meaningful Christmas ornament. It means a lot to me, as I don’t have any biological sisters.

Did I mention, cookies already? We ate a lot of frosting too.

Feliz Navidad,

Jessy

Have a happy holiday!

Love,

Jessy

Perspective is a funny thing. Memories of an object, topic or experience can look and feel so different to different people. Grown siblings are bound to tell you, different stories, about “how it was” growing up. Any two married people will definitely tell you how a certain “tone” was perceived.

I photographed my new Christmas gift mug. It contained the same liquid, was held by the same two hands and sat on the same corner of the kitchen table.

The first photo is simple, yet, serene and strong. The second photo is cluttered, yet cozy and care-free.

From where I’m sitting, that looks like me…simple, strong, cozy and care-free. Simple yet cluttered.

I love my perspective!!

Love,

Jess

Molly as Mary and Ryan as Joseph (Molly calls him Joephus)

The day started like any other day. Little did I know about the challenges that lay ahead.

A blur of breakfast dishes, playing, arguing, and Holiday crafts, led quickly into afternoon.

A dinner guest was to be expected in a few hours. I busied myself laying out Christmas towels in the bathroom and picking up my boy from school.

Somehow, the sun had set, and dinner was still in a pile of ingredients resembling groceries – not a meal. The lit outdoor Christmas lights were blaring at me as if to say, “Why didn’t you do a crock pot meal? Dinner is right around the corner!”

Molly decided to “help” me cook by emptying an entire sack of flour on my living room rug.

The babies managed to empty out Ryan’s desk drawers while I was cleaning the rug.

Ryan and Molly fought over something, in-which, the nativity scene fell over.

Okay. At this point, I’m yelling, “Everyone quiet! Stop it! What are you doing! Go to your room!”

Then, on my knees, patting the ground around my room and the hallway, I shout to the other room, “WHERE is baby JESUS?” I shouted it with a harsh tone. The kind of tone that curls your lips as you said it.

The moment was not lost on me. Where was baby Jesus? The small plastic mold of baby Jesus, I was so longing to find, was under my hamper. I gave myself a wry smile, shook my head and shed a tear. I had spent more time looking for a plastic mold version of Jesus than worshiping Him this season.

Vowing to refocus my energy, I set the nativity and vacuumed the flour.

Peter brought home Chinese take-out and our guest was gracious.

We said a prayer over our meal. We laughed over knock-knock jokes, fortune cookie predictions and noodle covered babies.

The day came to an end much as it has begun…pajamas and dishes. But, a little something had changed in my heart.

Love,

Jess

I’m linking up to Darcy’s Sweet Shot Tuesday.

Our gingerbread village was a little too tempting for our little Molly!

Love,
Jess

At least 17 inches of snow blew into town this past weekend. The roof of the Mall of America Field collapsed, cars were in the ditch everywhere and community activities were cancelled.

The news called it Snow-ma-gedon! I called it a Blizzard. Molly called it a “Lizzard”!

We made a gingerbread village.

Peter taught Ryan a new computer game.

Peter made a huge fort with Molly and Ryan. The white glow from the living room windows was from all the blowing snow!

I made a pie.

What do you do when you are home-bound with your family? I hope you find something fun!

Love,

Jess

Hey Guys!

I love Christmastime, so  of course, I’m going join up with a few decor linky parties!

Christmas Mantel

Layla’s party

My faux mantel, (a huge shelf in my dinning room), provides a lot of surface area for seasonal decor. It is one of the only areas that my 4 kids can’t reach. Which means, the shelf mantel is the only place I can display anything with glass. I love changing out the decor contents of the white and glass candle houses. This Christmas, I added green and red glitter ornaments and a red-berry garland.

Christmas Vignette

Rhoda’s Party

Christmas invaded my living room side table.  Clearing paperwork clutter, missing socks and av equipment off my side table to decorate for the seasons makes me happy! I paired books with green and red spines with a photo from my college days with my husband. My Merry Days Silent Nights sign adds a pop of color and height to this cozy vignette.

Christmas Craft

Kate’s Party

Red paint + scrap lumber  2X4 + 25 circles + number stickers + Mod Podge = Christmas Countdown (Advent) on a Stick.

I’m from Minnesota, the host of the Stair Fair with most “On-a-Stick” items in the world. (or that I’ve seen). So naturally, Christmas Countdown on-a-stick was the most logical craft for me to make!

Christmas Tree

Sarah’s Party

My hallway gets all aglow with a sweet and simple table-top tree. White and red berry garland, white lights and my angel ornament collection are topped off with a white tin star of Bethlehem.

Thanks for stopping by for a tour, of the Just a Blink house, at Christmas! Hope your days are merry and bright!

Love,
Jess

My Little Lady seems to think she’s the boss around here. She recently gave me a, “Count to trouble…1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 11-teen. Now do what I say!” Of course, she had one hand on her hip and the other hand waving a finger around, in my face.

She’s a dreamer, alright.

She wants to:

Be a big kid. Decked out in Ryan’s clothes from head to toe…including boxers.

Drive. She’s drawn to anything with wheels!

Collect sparkly shoes. She claims, its the only way to, “Walk Fancy”.

Get Married. Even a bath towel will do for a veil, in a pinch!

Be a Mama. She loves to rock her little sisters.

Good Golly Miss Molly – don’t forget to be my baby as long as you live!!!!!

Love,

Jess