10.29.2014

All things pink and purdy:

 The nest is filled with pink, tacky, girly-girl overboard vibes today.
A certain lil' princess is turning 5... five!!
The tom-boy in me is fighting a gag reflux at all this decor, but it makes her little heart happy, so that's good enough medicine for this mama.

 Annnnd, check out my first attempt at making a fun cake... ok, stop laughing!
We usually just opt for cupcakes each year, but this year it's cake.  I stared at a rectangle pan and wondered what to do (much like starting at a scrap of fabric envisioning a pattern to sew) when I realised I could just cut the bottom corners off and put them up top as kitty ears!
She also loves kittys.
Pink, kittys, princesses.
Need I say more?

 Another sweet moment: this morning she said "Baby Talia is my BEST gift ever!!  You know why?  Because she's SOOO cute!"  end quote.

Happy Birthday to our dear Azriel!
She's full of creativity, energy, spunk, imagination, sensitivity, faces, emotions, and sweetness!

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Stay tuned for the surprise post in a day or two.
Sorry for the delay, we've been in a never-ending, gauntlet of sleepless nights, fevers and all around exhaustion here lately.... wheeeeee!

Mel ;o)

10.17.2014

A.musing.mama! 4.5

Taking your kids out to walk in public... I've heard it compared to 'herding cats'... yeah, that.

Usually our kids are pretty civil about going to the Mall or places like that, but you're always secretly fearing that this time will be that time when the mall security escort your wild ones out.

Just walking together as a cohesive unit down the sidewalk is a victory for me.
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Sorry again for the delay in this A.musing.mama series.
I hope to get back to sketching these weekly, (although I won't use this marker pen again... ugh)!  I also have another surprise around the corner for you with this series too!

Happy weekend'ing friends,
Mel ;o)

 
 

10.14.2014

little fire.


The irony is not lost on me, friends.
That the more I try to teach my children.. the more I am learning myself.

Lately, it's about the power of our words.
I'll relay our little scenario for you:  the daughter comes home from school, saying she's been inviting one friend - but not that other one - to her birthday.  Saying she's done "eenie, meanie, miny-mo..." to choose who can come.  My eyes turn to dinner plates as I envision how painful this situation may have been to the girl 'left out'.  (All the while, I remember using this exact same threat as my own verbal arsenal when I was her age).

I take her aside one afternoon, and talk to her about the power of our words (James 3:5/6).
The poison or pleasantness of our tongues.
Do we want to hurt others, or help them with our speech.

She goes back to colouring,
I go back to contemplating:
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Our tongues are small fires.

Do I raise people up, or raze people down with my words?

Does this fire bring warmth or does it burn?

Does it illuminate the darkness, or sting with it's smoke?

Be careful little fire.

Mel
 

10.09.2014

In print! The making of our book:

 So excited!!
Here's where my creative energies have been focused for the past while, friends.
I've been illustrating the story my husband wrote to propose to me with!

13 watercolour illustrations.
Adding the text he had written years ago.
Formatting the book and ordering from an online photo book company (Picaboo).

It arrived so quickly!
Finally, a late anniversary gift for my husband, and a delightful storybook to now read to the three bunnies in our nest.

Here's a couple sneak peeks:
That sweet man nervously read me this story almost 7 years ago, over a plate of sushi.
I didn't even clue in until the final paragraph that he was using the story of two bunnies who fell in love in the woods to propose to me.  It's a tear jerker!

So, next time you come over for tea, I'll read it to you.

*P.S: the illustration on the back cover is the exact depiction of our wedding cake too.

Now I've got the bug to want to team up with him and make children's books! 

Mel ;o)

10.08.2014

7th 'heavens dew'.

If anyone needs a reminder of how fast the days keep moving.
Our little Talia - 'heavens dew' - is 7 months now!

She's all sweetness in the day, and all sass at night.

Enjoy your sunny day friends,
Mel ;o)

10.07.2014

same theme. different books:

Lets be honest, I would not make a very good book reviewer.
I'm the kind of person who picks up a book and thinks "this is GOLD!  I need to tell everyone to read this book!".  Then I pick up the next book and think: "wait, now this is really GOLD!".

So, yeah, while I still try to be a discerning reader... I'm pretty easy to win over if the subject is right.  Lately, (as you may remember from my last post on books worth reading)... my focus is still on parenting, and growing in God's grace.

For those of you who may be in the same boat as me, seeking to raise your kids to delight in the God of grace (not seeking to grow up little legalists who think they're good in their own rule keeping) may I recommend "GIVE THEM GRACE" by Elyse Fitzpatrick.
This book has challenged and inspired my parenting approach.
It has helped me see my own soul mirrored in my children.
It convicted me about how to show the 'prodigal' loving heart of the Father to my children... when I normally would have held on to my anger/frustration/resentment over their defiant moments.
It really opened my eyes to how I could turn small moments into deeper teachable moments about the goodness of God and the brokenness of our own hearts.  How to be humble and honest with my kids... to show them that Mommies need grace too.  A lot of intriguing conversations have happened with our oldest daughter (almost 5yrs) since I've read this book.
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Another gold book of encouragement for you mamas: "TREASURING CHRIST WHEN YOUR HANDS ARE FULL" by Gloria Furman.  She writes in a candid, honest and profound way that sees Christ in every crazy, exhausting, mess of daily motherhood.  Check it out.
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And, because I'm a slow learner... a lot of the other books on my nightstand are still hollering that same theme: grace, grace, grace! at me.
I just read Tullian's "ONE WAY LOVE" for more on that topic.
While my husband and I are also hoping to host a small group book study of "THE DISCIPLINE OF GRACE" by Jerry Bridges.

Yep, it's a lot of the same theme really.
I need to constantly have my focus clarified.
Because my heart constantly wants to make it all about my 'performance' and my own efforts to 'win' the love of God.  In fact, most of our world is based on that paradigm of cause and effect.  What others might call 'karma'.  We try to apply that to God when we think our efforts at being 'good' are what caused Him to save us.  Or, if we truly believe that He saves us through Christ's perfection alone.. we then start to think that it's now up to us to keep ourselves 'good enough' by our own strength.  Every day I need grace.
Every day I need the gospel to reorient my thinking.
The crossroads of my brokenness and His beauty intersecting.
My sin and His salvation exchanging.

I could read a million more books on this divine theme!

What's on your nightstand lately?
I'd love to hear your book recommendations as well.

Mel ;o)
 

10.01.2014

confessions (of an artist/mama)...

I used to define myself as an artist.
Then I had kids.

So, 'Mama-stay-at-home-artist-on-the-side'... was a bit of a mouthful.
I soon found that both these passions were rather all-consuming feeling.  I felt torn between both worlds that I wanted to play in... all the while resenting the other voices calling for my attention.

Maybe you know this feeling?
Maybe you've discovered, as I have, that these kids are the masterpieces requiring my attention.
Canvas, colours and creating can wait.  These growing creations cannot.  I will not have my children look back on their lives and wish their mama was more present to play than practising her paint strokes.

But, for now, I take any creative outlet as a perkBecause I know I still need the outlet.  I feel my blood pressure drop when I create.  It's good for the kids to see mama still doing her passions too... but even better, alongside them!
That means, when the kids are painting... I love to sit and paint with them.
When the crayons are smudging, my fingers are in it too.

Then, during naps or bedtime.... I sneak a few more moments to paint.
How do you find your outlets for creativity?

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Post Script:  My apologies for not having the COMICS here lately... a few projects of late are channelling all my extra time (eager to show in the future!).

Creatively yours,
Mel ;o)