FINDING PEACE

Today I am stuck with the "did I make the right decision?" phase.  Feeling so scattered and trying to pull everything together my mind is left running in circles.  I hate having to do things 2 or 3 times to get it right and lately it feels as though that is ALL I am doing.  I am just into my first month at taking Rustic full time and I am scared more now then I was before.  It could do with the fact that I am trying to juggle too many things and not getting myself out there.  But i am discouraged none the less.  I ran across the below picture on facebook and it was just what I needed to read today. 

I need to stop trying to make everything fit before I find that peace, I need to find peace first.  And luckily I know just where to look.  I cannot allow fear to absorb my thoughts and time.  I need to overcome and press on, afterall I am a fighter.  

~Steph

HAPPY NEW YEAR

So here I sit again, 3 months since my last post.  Ugh...So many things, so little time.  One day I will keep up with this and actually have some what of an audience. lol.   But for now I am happy just telling my story to cyber space.  

As of January 1st I took my Etsy shop full time! Wooohoooooo!  I am beyond excited and beyond scared.  I love doing what I do so much I hope that I can provide for my family and also treat everyday like a new adventure.  It is weird to look back at the last year to see where I have ended up.  You see I was in a job that had ended a long time ago and I was very unhappy.  I had to sit back and watch as people that I trusted turned their back on me for reason they never felt lead to tell me about.  I was crushed and my heart was broken.  Then I left that for another job in July to which I thought was good but ALWAYS had reservation because in my heart I wanted to do Rustic Homemade full time and thought that was where I was suppose to be, but I had to provide for my family and so far Rustic had not been able to do so.  

BUT as it would turn out, that job had a dark side as well.  So, basically forcing me to trust in God even more and take a HUGE leap of faith.  I cannot begin to even describe the sense of peace that I feel even though everything and everyone around me is telling me I should be scared.  Sometimes we ask, how is this possible?

 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.   Philippians 4:4-9

That is how it is possible. I know in my heart that God has brought me through so many trials so that I might appreciate the gift it is to have my own business for however long that might be, I am so very thankful that my prayer has been answered.  I am not saying that I have all the money I had before with a steady paycheck, but I know that ALL my needs not wants, will be met.  I have no complaints.  

So I wanted to share a little of where I have been and also a little Christmas photos of my home ;)  

My husband and I's next prayer, our very own home.  We have been watching this one home go up for sale then not for sale and now back up for sale.  It is such a fixer upper and I am in love with its property and potential. I will try to keep my blog updated on that, but for now, admire the beauty of THE tree. 

Ahhhh.........Christmas Eve. 

One of my many other trees plus my Luke sign also sold in my shop ;)

This is my pallet wall art decorated with a Noel burlap sign that I made.

My Santa bags sold in my shop :)

Another banner made by me to help decorate my home on a budget for Christmas

 Without gifts

 Homemade pinecones ornarments.

Homemade Flower pin ornaments

Burlap Bow

Some of the many ornaments I made that might make my Etsy store Christmas 2014

So goodbye for now.  I will be back later this month with photos from my entire home.  

ABSENT FROM MY BLOG BUT NOT MY LIFE

Where has the time gone?  I have come to the realization that for me to be truthful with my self and to succeed with the blog and my shop that I am going to have to be truthful with this blog.  Make sense?  For so long I have been so frightened of putting myself out there, writing about my life and what is really going on because in the past with just Facebook and one small status I have caused and stirred up so much conterversery.   But I guess I am tired of being scared and I guess a little tired of being worried about what certain people think of me.

First off, here is what you should know, the basics to what you should always come back too.

I have a huge heart
I love my family and they come first
I love God, and without Him I truly nothing, even though I may not quote scriptures daily on my blog. He is my world and light unto my feet.
I cannot sit still and must stay busy
I am people pleaser.

So Here is where I am today.  I am gone from my previous full time job of 8 years and am now totally working from home. STILL working 2 jobs, which are my shop, Rustic Homemade (found here on Etsy) and for a big Company that has made it possible for me to do everything from home.  It has taken a bit of getting used too since I was used to seeing people everyday and have your run of the mill conversations.  Now, I just have conversations with my self and I am not that intersting.  All this happened back in July and also since then Rustic has stayed fairly busy and I anticipate the holdiay season will be as well.  I love that!  I have a brain that never rest, always thinking of new ideas, things I need to do and building helps me focus and relax.  Who knew a circular saw could be relaxing?  LOL.

I also have a few more dining tables in the works for a few friends, some I have built, some I am building.  Really I am waiting for the weather to be a bit more cooler because here in Florida building in 90 degree weather is brutal!

Jackson contiues to do well and is too smart for his own good.  We are almost potty trained and he will be turning 3 on the 24th of this month. WHAT!  Crazy.  I still think of all the people that have yet to even meet him, even family and think, "man, how can time have flown by so quickly?"

So my future hope with my blog is that I will stay up with it, posting more of my shop and maybe some do's and don'ts.  We will see where this part of my life/journey takes me.  Wish me luck and try to be nice to me as I slowly enter the blogging world.  Well I have been here, just I have never shared it with anyone before.

I always like to leave with a random picture of Jackson, because, well...he is cute.  This is from the Air show this past weekend.

NEW FAVORITE ITEM

Every now and then I get a chance to do a special order and sometimes I fall madly in love with that person's item, so much sometimes I make it for my own home!  Shhh...this will be our secret. 

So a couple of weeks ago I was asked by one of the sweetest customers to make a 24x36 version of my 1 Corinthians bible scripture in a horizontal version with a white background and that pretty spa/blue vintage color.  My first thought was, “wow that will be really big”.  Lol. 

Well I finished it, and I can’t think quick enough of where I am going to put my own and what scripture I am using! The color combo is spot on and she allowed me to pull out ALL my rustic methods and craziness.  Thanks Kammy! 

Here it is! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visit us on Etsy for more items!

 

NEW OFFICE DESK

I have been wanting to talk a bit about my new desk and my husband's first trip to Ikea.  And by talk I really mean, document.  haha. 

Side note:  Looking back on my first year dating my husband I realized I can't remember very much, so that is the main reason for my blog and the random not in date order posts.  I want to remember these good and bad times and of course my Etsy shop. I want my son to really know us.

Ok, back.  A couple weeks ago when my husband was actually off from work on a Sunday.  Saturday night we (I) decided with the help of Pinterest that I wanted to make a new desk.  We did actually need something a little more functional as I was getting a new HUGE printer and needed some work space for my Etsy shop that is basically taking over my whole house.  Must get organized!  So I turned to him after hours of searching on Pinterest for the right one and said "hey, Ikea has the desk legs I need, lets go tomorrow".  His response "yeah, lets do it!".  I love my spontaneous husband. 

BUT we maybe should have checked with our son first to see if he was on board for the almost 2hr trip to the closest Ikea.  And I am pretty sure his answer would have been a big fat NO and then followed with "I want treats".

The trip up was fine but our son has this thing that if he is woken up before HE IS READY, then it awakens the beast.  Yes.  Don't look at his picture and think somehow I am lying, I am not.  He is cute and that is the reason he still breathes.

As soon as we got to Ikea we decided to stop and eat first then shop on full stomachs.  Well apparently our child was not hungry as he made the biggest scene and would not calm down. I ended scarfing down my food and waiting outside.  Bad service did not help.  We were able to get a little bit of time Ikea until my son starting up the beast again so we got our desk legs and some other stuff.  Come on! You can't leave there with only one item especially when the closest one is 2hrs away from you!!!  My only regret is I wish I would have got 2 sets, as now I have plans to make the desk longer against the longer wall in the den. 

Our son finally feel asleep on the way home and stayed asleep till we got home and then he was normal again.  NEVER, Ever Wake a sleeping Toddler!

Here are some not good pictures of the desk.  I am very proud of the top and how smooth it is and how I got all 4 pieces to evenly match together.  Regret...Wish I would have not used 2x6 and instead used 1x6 as it is SUPER heavy.

 

We still need a chair...I want this one from World Market.  So pricey...

 

We also have some organizing to do to make room for this desk in the space we have.  I am going to end up moving it to the long wall on the left and make the desk the entire length of the wall.  Hence why I wish I would have gotten 2 sets of the legs.  :(  

WHO'S TIME?

It has been a discouraging couple of weeks.  And when that happens I try to read back through the things that somehow made it a little bit better.  Here is one. (pic is a little distorted) 


This is what I need to hang in my office at home so I can constantly remind myself  that there are stepping stones.  Some people are lucky to have made it right away, others, it took awhile.  I am just so anxious because I finally am doing something I love, but only part-time and its killing me.  I mean destroying personal relationships and my health.  I am constantly trying to find the balance and ALL I CAN  think is, I want to do it Full time.  But God is constantly reminding me that once again, there is a time for EVERYTHING, BUT one catch, in his time.  I just wish HIS time was My time right now.  lol. 

GARDEN BOX

This post is a little behind but that is how my WHOLE life is these days.  I feel as though I am constantly running to keep up leaving a whirlwind of disaster behind me.  Example, this morning I picked up everything to take with me to work and apparently somewhere in there I sat my lunch down a forgot to pick it back up.  Didn't even realize it till my husband called and said "do you know your lunch is on the foyer table?"  Nope, sure didn't.  So ok, I will have to buy lunch today.  Order lunch, look for wallet, there is no wallet.  Whats that?  I left it in the backpack I used for Sunday and its still there AT HOME! Yeah, so basically I have been driving around for 2 days, and no wallet.  Smooth. 

 

 

BUT I am trying to focus on my accomplishments and leave the failures behind.  Its hard, but it is good to stay positive and I NEED a lot of positive these days.  The husband and I are starting a new life of eating healthy and we wanted to have a garden to support that, fresh herbs, veggies and so forth.  Not wanting to spend too much on things to put them in that didn't fit our space, I went to building.  My ultimate FAVORITE upon FAVORITE past time.  I used some of my old pallet planters for the front porch for most of my herbs and I made a garden box for the tomatoes, peppers and hopefully cucumbers.  So with 2 1x8 boards and half of a 4x4 I had in my garage I made this lovely.  

We love it.  And my husband whom actually has a green thumb waters his plants with pride.  I also called this his Father's Day present.  BONUS! 

I actually have another posted drafted about my desk I made and a wonderful tantrum my son had while visiting IKEA this past weekend.  Must document that one for his graduation, the little stinker!