super hero mom

so my mom is seriously a super hero. she is the sweet and lovely, strong and powerful, determined and brilliant, effortlessly beautiful kind of super hero. my favorite kind. she has always had this magic ability to get a job done. and fast. she is one of the most hard-working, gifted people I know...

here is an example.
our back-yard was a mess. a break-your-ankle-viney-weed-explosion mess.
see:

and then...my super hero mom came over...and 5 hours later...now it looks like this...

amazing right?
she is simply wonderful.
it is so good to be her daughter.
and have a beautiful yard {among other countless beautiful things} because of her and her giving heart.

DIY burlap cork board

i saw this on Jones Design Company,

if you haven't checked her out.

it is a MUST.

her stuff is incredible.

this is one of my favorite projects recently.

i love it for a few reasons. its inexpensive. its easy. its an adorable gift. or house/office accessory.

and it is just plain CUTE.

Here is a step-by-step tutorial: (let me know how you make-out)

you will need:

::cork board

::burlap- enough to cover the cork board x2

::scissors

::staple gun

::ruler

::sharpie/marker

::STEP ONE::cut two pieces of burlap to fit the cork board. Add about 2-3 inches to each side to wrap around board.

::STEP TWO::With a ruler and sharpie, mark equal increments on your fabric piece {mine are each 3 inches wide}. 

• Draw lines with the ruler and cut. Make sure you cut one piece of fabric with the strips going vertically and one horizontally so that they fit all the way across the board. 

::STEP THREE: staple your strips to the back of the board on your horizontal edge

 

::STEP FOUR: add a row of strips to the vertical edge, and staple them to the back of the board {on one side}.

::STEP FIVE: weave in the horizontal strips {over-under-over-under}

::STEP SIX: staple the ends in place. make sure to pull each strip taut.

::STEP SEVEN::trim excess burlap off of back

and the lovely finished product!
{The "E" is wood covered with fabric...and the flower is made out of some of the scrap pieces of burlap, fabric and lace!}

enjoy!

angie's adoption shower

where do I even begin. angie and her beautiful family are neck deep in the adoption process and they are weeks away from getting to bring there sweet baby girl home. Angie is someone that you seriously can't help falling in love with...here is a little glimpse into the heart of one of the most amazing people I know...

"i have no idea where to begin or what to write...but one thing is for sure...WE HAVE OUR DAUGHTER!!!
that's right. our baby GIRL!  oh my love. its bursting out!!  it's been a whirlwind of a day...the email i anticipated sometime in january or february all of the sudden happened last night. on the night of the eclipse. the week of christmas. seriously...how awesome is that?? i've been on cloud 9 all day. although a bit distracted with my cloud 9 status....i forgot to eat breakfast, and lunch...even forgot COFFEE..seriously, that's wayyy ridiculous distraction :)  but the rediculous distraction is with good reason. she's deliciously cute and adorable and everything i dreamed of. she's perfectly perfect. and she is ours! the very first referral given to us for review...just as we prayed...prayed against having to look through a long list and say no to so many faces and yes to only one. she is only 8 months old...we anticipate bringing her home before her first birthday, which is in May. holy cow. that's incredible!!!  i have so much to write, but in the midst of processing such awesome news, i'm still working to finish christmas orders...so it's late to bed for me tonight...but i'm late to bed with a huge smile. for my little girl. i know who you are. you were created in a most incredible way. i love every little bit of you.  i'm not going to post any photos of her until after we bring her home. i want to keep her just for us. stingy, right? i'm allowed :)  i'd really love to just hide away for a few months just the 5 of us and do nothing but eat gooey snacks and catch frogs and build doll houses and have camp outs and ride tire swings and paint messy things and bake cookies and dance like crazy and kiss and hug and tickle fight all day long. i have a feeling our first few weeks and months will be that way...a whole bunch of nothing that means everything. i hope and pray it will go like that.

my heart is filled with praise...we serve a God who is keeping us in a place of growing closer to Him...it's intoxicating" :)-angie

ok...need I say more. THIS IS 100% WORTH CELEBRATING, RIGHT?!
(these pictures are the fabulous work of Chare Pishock...another incredible, admirable woman!)

check back soon for the DIY tuturial of this woven burlap cork-board!

this fabulous paper was created custom for angie by Weddings and Such...(also the cork-board notes)

and this was angie's sweet reaction to it all...priceless.

shout out: lauren.henricks. you. are. effortlessly.awesome.this.would.have.never.happened.without.you.thank.you.for.being.you.