A Pee-Wee Herman sticker. It’s not the “best thing” I’ve ever found randomly on the street, but it’s certainly one of the funniest things I’ve recently found.
Last Saturday, Travis and I were walking at the farmers market, when I noticed a Pee-Wee Herman sticker on the public restroom sign. Then, as we were walking back to our car, I spotted another Pee-Wee Herman sticker on the parking garage window.
A couple of years ago, I bought a Dolly Parton graphic tee that I spotted at Target. The shirt included one of her famous quotes, “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”
So this past Saturday, it only seemed fitting to wear my Dolly shirt when Travis and I went to the farmers market.
If you had to get a tattoo right now, what would it be and why?
This past April, I got my 17th tattoo—a peacock in the American Traditional style. 🦚 Technically, it’s my 18th tattoo because I had an old tattoo covered up with the peacock.
When I was around 23 years old and in college, I got my first tattoo—a butterfly on my lower back.
Yes, I was one of those 20-something college students in the early 2000s who got the infamous “tramp stamp.” 😏😂
Zephaniah is nine! My, that happened so fast. Each year, it feels this way because the kids are growing so quickly. It’s bittersweet.
I feel incredibly blessed that God has given me the gift of celebrating my children’s birthdays, but I also can’t help but feel a little weepy that my babies are growing up!
Zaya (6), Zechariah (11), and Zhen (13) helped me make Zephaniah’s birthday cake—a homemade chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting.
We made a diy dinosaur theme for the cake (because Zephaniah loves dinosaurs 🦕) using chocolate cupcakes for a volcano and food coloring gel for the orange-red lava and green grass.
Then, we topped the cake with miniature dinosaur toys.
Zephaniah invited our neighbors to his party, and he was so excited when they arrived. Elijah (26) and Mj (24), our oldest children, also joined us for his birthday celebration.
6-7 chicken muggets for the birthday boy!
For party food, we had pizza, chips, and 6-7 chicken nuggets. I saw the 6-7 chicken nuggets at Aldi and thought the kids would find them hilarious. Lol! 😂
The kids had a blast! They played outside for a little bit before coming inside to play Zephaniah’s new video game, Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen.
My mom (aka Nana) mailed him a birthday card with $25 tucked inside. This is a cherished birthday tradition from Nana that the children always look forward to.
Then, we take them to the store of their choice (usually Target, Walmart, or Five Below) so they can go shopping.
This morning, I made the kids scrambled eggs and homemade buttermilk waffles for breakfast.
Which reminds me—I desperately need to make a farmers market trip to stock up on black tea blends and herbal teas.
Homemade buttermilk waffles 🧇 😋
I only buy my teas from one woman who locals fondly call “The Tea Lady.”
She makes the best tea blends I have ever tasted, and she only sells them once a week at the farmers market.
So, I’m putting it on my calendar to go to the farmers market the beginning of September!
I started watching the new Netflix series Little House on the Prairie. I was skeptical about if it would be any good, but so far, I like it.
I love historical fiction books, films, and TV shows, especially westerns, so this show is right up my alley.
I’m only four episodes in, but I’m hoping we’ll get a little more character development for some of the side characters as the season continues. There are already a few I’d love to know more about.
Photo credit: Netflix
I just realized I have never actually read the Little House on the Prairie book series. Maybe I should add that to my fall reading list.
Finally booked my follow-up doctor’s appointment for my second skin biopsy. My doctor wants to make sure he removed all of the cells of the mole I had on my finger.
My new junk journal I created. I’m going with a farmers market/picnic theme for the main cover and tip-in pages.
Lastly, I got to spend a lot of time on creating in my junk journal. I did this in between cooking dinner, doing laundry, and other household tasks. 😄
One of the spreads I created today. 😍
Since we are on our break from homeschooling lessons, it’s freed up some time for me to focus on my creative hobbies. 😊
Today’s Wordless Wednesday post features recent photographs I took of two of my children Zaya (6) and Zephaniah (9) when they were enjoying a morning of what I like to call “front porch sitting.”
Every morning, my two little ones like to sit on the front porch on our thrifted chairs and read a book, sip tea, and watch the neighborhood go by.
In late spring, the kids and I went to our favorite art thrift store to buy new art and craft supplies. I came across an old journal, and despite the tattered cover, the book was in great condition.
At the time, I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to use it for, but I decided to go ahead and purchase it. I knew later on it would come to me.
I wish I would have remembered to snap a few photos of what the old journal looked like before I repurposed it. As you can see in the photo below, I have repurposed the cover with honeybee fabric (because I love bees).
On the first page of journal, the previous owner had written her full name and a brief identification memo. I covered the page with an old Care Bears book page and a poem about peace by Ruthmarie Brooks Silver.
I thought the poem was very fitting since I struggle with anxiety. Each time I open my journal it will remind me this book is my safe space to share my feelings and thoughts.
For the first page, I used a page from an old Care Bears book and added a poem about peace, along with Numbers 6:26.
As for the rest of the journal, there is one short quote the woman scribbled on a page: “You on you.” What does that mean?
All of the other pages are empty and look brand new. As I flipped through the pages, I wondered why the woman never wrote in her journal. It had clearly been forgotten based on the worn cover.
I decorated the inside cover of the old journal with more honeybee fabric and card stock, and then, I added a photograph of myself.
Maybe she packed it away and when cleaning out her closet or basement, she came across her old journal and decided to donate it to the local art thrift store.
Whatever the reason, I am grateful for her donation. The woman’s old journal will be put to good use as I will write my “big feelings” in it.
That’s what I’m calling the journal–Big Feelings. It has become my peaceful book where I can write, create, and make room for all of my “big feelings.”
