Creating Treasures

Perfect Homemade Yogurt every time.

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Recently I began making my own yogurt at home. Why eat yogurt? Because it has live cultures that are beneficial for your digestive system. Did you know that your immune system begins in your gut? So it's a good idea to keep it working properly. If you have heartburn, constipation, diarrhea - these are all good reasons to eat yogurt.

Unlike milk, yogurt is easier to digest and much healthier. Although my American DH has grew up drinking milk with his meals, I made a point to NOT encourage this habit in my children. They will drink milk with the occasional cookie, but most of the time they will get their calcium from dark greens, cheese and yogurt.

So I researched for a while and found an easy method that works for me. Unlike this recipe that requires a crock pot or this ONE that requires a cooler, I used this ONE that uses the oven and its light as the base of my recipe.

Here is what I do:

1) I use 2% milk (I wish I had raw milk but unfortunately where I live it's illegal for human consumption! Right! whatever...) and then I "boil" (not really... I heat it up until I see bubbles forming around the top) in a stainless steel pot.

2) I use 1 T of greek yogurt to every 2 cups of milk.

3) Once the milk "boiled" I let it cool until I can put my finger in it and it feels like the same temperature of my daily hot shower. Yes, that is right! I don't have a candy thermometer. I use my finger. :) Now if you want to be precise you can use this post to monitor temperatures and follow the rest of my recipe exactly.

4) Once the temperature is right I add the tablespoons of yogurt that are room temperature mixed in with a few tablespoons of room temperature milk. Yes, room temperature is key here!

5) Mix in the yogurt (your starter) slowly, gently. Then I cover with the pot's lid and add a few thicker dishtowels on top and put in the oven with the light on and forget about it until the next morning when I come in to make breakfast.

That's it!!! easy peasy... no washing, rinsing or boiling or any of the other complicated stuff the other recipes call for.

I put in the fridge so it can cool and it will firm up a bit.

My homemade yogurt and my starter of choice.

I usually make about 8 cups at a time and use 4 T of starter. Once you have your own yogurt you can use it as your starter. No need to buy from the store any more.

I add this fabulous yogurt to my children's smoothies (I don't use milk for smoothies. Yogurt or water plus the fruit), homemade sauces and gravies, pasta sauces, icing for cakes and cookies, salsas and more.

Next post I will show you how to make cream cheese and use the whey from your own homemade yogurt.

If you enjoyed this post, leave me a comment, will you??

Blessings,
Tereza

PS Here is another great post about yogurt and how-tos and even troubleshooting. Enjoy!

Look what I found!!

2012-01-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a great talk on microbes!! Bacteria, virus and more from an expert who is a Christian and has a Biblical view of Creation!! cool, huh?? and for FREE!! So if you have middle aged children or high schoolers or just curious homeschoolers show them this video.

And at my local library I found this book: The Adventures of Micki Microbe. I haven't read it yet to the children, but it looks very interesting!!

Would you like to find out how to homeschool for FREE or keep your children learning? Then check out the list of blogs and websites that I posted on the top right side of my blog. All these links have so much information and fun learning games, worksheets, videos and more for FREE!!

Besides my local library, the internet is my other resource that I use to teach my children daily. Why limit yourself to boring textbooks while you can learn so much through videos, books and daily interaction with your children?

Blessings,
Tereza

We got....

2012-01-26T08:20:00.000-08:00

Snow and a three year old little girl.

Blessings,

Tereza

New Chipboard LOVE album - a Wedding Celebration

2012-01-22T17:30:00.000-08:00

As a gift to my sister celebrating her wedding I made her this scrapbook album. I used a Bo Bunny LOVE chipboard album and covered it with Crafty Secrets papers and added Webster's Pages ribbons, flowers and other embellishments. I also used Melissa Frances pearls, Prima flowers and some chipboard pieces I had at home.

I had covered the album a few years back and it was sitting in my studio waiting for just the right time to be finished. So I put a light coat of white acrylic paint on the album to soften up a bit the colors and then added the stamps and then the embellishments. It was easy to make this album pretty since my sister is so gorgeous!! hahaha :)

Here is a bird eye view of the top of the albums. If you would like to see the whole album, check out my VIDEO on my YOUTUBE channel.
Enjoy!!

Below the last page of the album!

If you would like to see MORE of my WORD ALBUMS just click HERE.

Thanks for stopping by,

Tereza

My breakthrough

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

I was reading Barbara Sher. Wondering why the heck I was reading her (knowing that all things work together for good and the Lord leads)? Why I was enjoying the writings and thoughts of this woman with an evolutionist worldview? I have no clue if she is a Bible believing Christian. She doesn't sound like one.

Anyway, I began to think about my dreams and then I prayed....

Dear Lord,

If you want us to go to ... you are going to have to do it! YOU have to make IT happen! I just can't see a way for it to come to pass.

Then it hit me: I was trying to make it happen!! I was trying to figure it out how. I was trying to add the numbers and come up with a game plan. My part is to say YES!, submit and let God. He can do the rest.

Ooooooooooh! I can see adventure in my future. Hold on tight!!!

And there is peace. Finally! :)

Tereza

Reading list of November and December 2011

2012-01-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

Since I got little ones coming behind my DD8 who is the oldest and an avid reader, I will be posting now only the new books we are reading, or the books used for school subjects such as History, Science or other projects. All books that I am re-reading for the little ones will not be listed here but you can find them on older posts. Here is the list for November:

The Worry Stone by Marianna Dengler
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Dicamillo
The Man who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
Radio Rescue by Lynne Barasch
Peppe the Lamplighter by Elisa Bartone
Night in the Barn by Faye Gibbons
We the People: Lewis and Clark by Dan Zadra
We the People: Squanto by James R. Rothaus
We the People: Paul Revere by Dan Zadra
Pocahontas by Jan Gleiter and Kathleen Thompson
The Story of Lengthwise by Ernestine Cobern Beyer
Squanto - Friend of the Pilgrims by Clyde Robert Bulla
Pocahontas and the Strangers by Clyde Robert Bulla
Daniel Boone - Frontier Adventures by Keith Brandt
The Lamp, the Ice, and the Boat called Fish by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Look Inside a Tree - A poke & look learning book
First Big Book of Why by Amy Shields
Wings on Things by Marc Brown
Poor Puppy by Nick Bruel
Marley and the Kittens by John Grogan
Clarence and the Great Surprise by Jean Ekman Adams
An American Thanksgiving by Ideals
Heaven is for Real for kids by Colton Burpo
Brand New Baby Blues by Kathi Applet
The Great Doughnut Parade by Rebecca Bond
Digger and Lew by Malachy Doyle
My Brother, Ant by Betsy Byars
Tooth Fairy's First Night by Anne Bowen
Christmas in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
The Artist who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle
Explore and Learn - Atlas of the World

Mom's Eccletic Reading List:

America's God and its Founding Fathers by Jerry R.Self
Days of Change - The Slave Trade by Rachel Hanel
Sacred Parenting by Gary L. Thomas
Through my Eyes - Tim Tebow with Nathan Whitaker

Here is the list for December:

Red Sled by Lita Judge
No Two Alike by Keith Baker
The Frogs and Toads all sang by Arnold Lobel
A Charley Brown Christams by Charles M. Schultz
The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet
The Hat by Jan Brett

A friend lent us a few books that are used in Sonlight Curriculum to teach History. DD8 has devoured the ones below:

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh
Sarah Whitcher's Story by Elizabeth Yates
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
Imprisoned in the Golden City by Dave and Neta Jackson
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

There is a whole lot more specially the ones about Christmas, Nativity and everything in between. We read the ones about the legend of the Candy Cane and others.

Blessings,
tereza

For the Mother of the Bride

2012-01-10T13:35:00.000-08:00

Not only do I make Bridesmaids cards I also make cards for anyone else involved in the Bridal Party! Look at these fun and modern cards that can be used for Mom in any occasion!!

Email me if you would like a custom order! Blessings,

Tereza

Easy Homemade Bread

2012-01-06T13:59:00.000-08:00

Homemade bread! Yummy and healthy and EASY to make!

About a month ago I decided to try making bread at home. I have 4 children, we eat bread everyday. We eat whole wheat bread and if you do too, you know it's pretty expensive. I stay away from the bread that is made with high fructose corn syrup. My options are not many and the price is high.

After a bit of research, I found the 5 minute Artisan bread recipe. Didn't have to purchase the book, but just browsing a bit on the net and you can find video tutorials and blog posts with lots of reviews and the recipes.

I enjoyed the bread but it was a bit tough for everyday sandwiches. So I went back to the drawing board (the net) and found this recipe. After a couple of tests I tweaked it and now this is the recipe I use:

1 1/4 C warm water (I use hot tap water)
1 T dry active yeast
1/4 C honey or 1/3 C sugar (I have used granulated sugar and brown sugar. Now I use pure sorghum only)
2 C whole wheat WHITE flour
1/4 C wheat gluten
1 tsp salt
2 T yogurt or buttermilk
1 T olive oil
1 T vinegar
1 C bread flour

Look at my rolling pin! It's an old bottle! :)

The original recipe uses potato flakes and nonfat instant dry milk, two items that I do not use everyday and don't have in my pantry. I really wanted to use a recipe that incorporates everyday ingredients. The potato flakes are added to make the bread soft so I played around and found that the same amount in bread flour worked perfectly.

I double the recipe above (my version) and make 3 loaves each time. They last us about 3 days and so I only make bread every 3 days.

Crystal is a great teacher. Her videos show how to make the bread. It's easy, no need to knead at all!!! I don't have a kitchen aid or a dough hook. So I use the technique taught in 5 minute Artisan bread to mix my dough. Crystal's timing is also perfect. The bread rises every time and comes out soft and yummy!!

My bread ready for the oven after 1.5 hours to rise!

After some calculation, I figured my bread is probably costing about $1.50 a loaf. It's a pretty good price. the cheapest I have found bread at the store was $1.80. Now more than cost, what keeps me making bread every 3 days is knowing the nutritious value of it and what actually goes in it. There are no secret or hidden ingredients in it.

I hope you enjoy and try it.

Blessings,
Tereza

Instant Gratification

2011-12-22T13:47:00.000-08:00

I like instant gratification. I am hungry, I want to eat right now. I tell my children to do something, I want instant obedience with a smile. I don't like waiting, but I am learning. God is teaching me and I am so happy.

Today I had an A-ha! moment. It went like this....

DD8 is asking me for her $6.00 that she earned from doing jobs around the house that I haven't paid her yet. She is complaining and whining that she doesn't have any money now because I "took" all her money. The money she had squirreled away (her own words) for so long.

Praying and asking the Lord to help me keep my cool (yes, it takes very little to tick me off!) and to give me wisdom on how to talk to her calmly and gently, I ask her why did I "take" her money away. So she mumbles "because I damaged my bed." My artistic spirited child decided to use her bunk bed for wood carving. We were in there one day (she sleeps on the top bunk) and I was getting her things off her bed when I saw it. The interior of the rails of her bed were all carved. Like she had a pocket knife or something really sharp, she produced artistic cuts after artistic gaps. I was appalled to say the least. I had a fit!! yeah, I had a fit! And no, she didn't use a pocket knife. She used a plastic ruler.

I told her that I would not allow her to damage her bed. That it cost money and we are supposed to be good stewards of what we have and use. So after deciding NOT to spank her and give her another more appropriate lesson, one that she would remember, I asked her how much money did she have and asked her for all of it to pay for the damage. (It wasn't enough to pay for the bed, but it was enough to make a point.)

It's not the first time that she damages furniture or other things just for the fun of it. And yes, I understand curiosity and experimenting but she is 8 years old, I expect that she works those things out in her head first before attempting something that can surely be destructive.

So anyway... back to the kitchen. I told her I would give her her $6.00 and then she asked if she could do more jobs and get paid. I said "Certainly." But instead of having her follow me around the house asking for the money and adding the cents and dimes, I suggested she make a list of all the things she did and then at the end of the day we could look over the list and I would pay her some money for it.

She had a fit (yes, just like her Momma!! that is why her Momma is trying to do things differently, because I don't want my child having a fit. It's pretty ugly!). She saw a spelling lesson in the suggestion and began complaining about me not helping her, and she couldn't spell, that I would make her sound it out and blah blah blah. Instead of losing it, I asked her politely if we could continue this later. I was busy cooking and doing some food preparations in the kitchen and I have come to realize that in order to not lose my temper with my child I need 100% focus on our exchanges.

Of course, she was upset and insisted. But I remained calm and she complied. So she sat down on the floor and after 5 minutes, apologized and asked if we could try it now. I said "no", that I would call her when I was ready that right that minute I was busy and I couldn't proceed with her request. And then the A-ha moment came!

I saw myself as an adult using something my parents taught me when I was a child. That wisdom or information my parents had imparted to me as a child was precious and in full bloom in my life as an adult. It was like a balm of revelation. The Lord saying: "What you are teaching her is not for right now, it is for later. You plant now and the harvest comes later. You are planting the seeds of Godly character and wisdom so that she can become a Godly woman."

I understood that many times I get angry and upset with my children because I want to see the harvest right now. I saw a farmer in my mind screaming at a seed he had just shoved in the ground. Hollering at the seed because there was no fruit. Oh, my!!! I finally understood.

I am so amazed at the things the Lord Jesus will show me when I talk to Him and ask Him for wisdom. I am gaining victory. I know all things are possible. The Lord has given me a word of lately: PERSEVERANCE. And that verse that talks about what He has begun He will complete is making me REST in Him. So when I persevere is NOT DOING something, but BELIEVING and TRUSTING Him.

Praised be the Lord Jesus!! Merry Christmas!!

Oh, and the picture at the beginning of the post?? is of an amazing cranberry walnut cake. You can find the recipe HERE.

And my DD8 is a sweet child!! She is always quick to forgive and always ready to embrace and love on me. I am so blessed and undeserving of her or the Lord's love. Thank you Jesus!!

Blessings,
Tereza

Selling my WACOM CINTIQ 12WX

2011-12-12T16:06:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody!!

Are you ready for Christmas? shopping like crazy?

I am selling my Wacom Cintiq 12wx tablet right HERE. My husband bought it for me a while back and unfortunately homeschooling 4 children under 8 years old I have not been able to use it like I wanted. I used a couple of times to experiment with it and it is a fascinating tool for drawing, coloring and more. If you are familiar with Photoshop you can do a lot of it on your Cintiq with a Pen instead of a mouse. It is a fun and very useful tool. It comes with a version of Photoshop so if you ever wanted to try Photoshop you can without having to purchase it.

I have been hoarding it for a while in hopes my DD8 could use it in the future but I NEED the money. So we are selling it to pay for some of our renovations at our new home.

There are hundreds of reviews and demonstrations of it on YouTube if you would like to see it up and closer.

My Cintiq is still in the box with all the software that came with it, cables, the pen and a bonus Brand new SmudgeGuard glove. Everything looks like NEW and it's still in the plastic and boxes. Check out the photos below.

It can be used on PC or Mac. It retails anywhere from $900 and up for a Brand New One. I am selling mine at starting bid of $600 on Ebay. FREE Shipping with delivery confirmation and insurance. The Auction ends in 2 days so there is enough time for you to get this in time for Christmas!!!

So if you were wanting one, or thinking of getting one, this is your chance!!! email me if you have questions or leave a comment!!!

Blessings,
Tereza

Look what I found!

2011-11-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

I am always looking for books that will have a story with depth and a Biblical worldview. I get tired of the superficial and humanistic books available to children nowadays. So Lamplighter books are a breath of fresh air. They are beautifully bound and have wonderful captivating stories.

My children love their Audio Dramas and from time to time they have entire dramas FREE on their homepage. We have been able to listen to Teddy's Button for Free that way. You can go HERE and hear the first 2 episodes for FREE. You will be hooked!!

Right now they are having an amazing Promotion on 8 items, including 5 audio dramas for just $99.00. Of course, I am jumping on board and purchasing that for my children.

But I found some of the books they sell on Lamplighter website for FREE on Google books. Here are a few with their links. Once you click on the links, scroll down the page until you find the sections or chapters and click on the first one. Then click Download on the right top corner and download either PDF or EPUB to your computer and save it in a folder. That is what I do and then peruse later for read out louds for my children. Enjoy!!!

Helen; or Temper and its Consequences by Mrs George Gladstone

The Boy who Wandered; or Jack and the Minnchen by Mrs George Gladstone

The Hedge of Thorns by Mrs. Sherwood

Little threads: or, Tangle thread, Silver thread, and Golden thread by Elizabeth Prentiss

Now I am off to enjoy my children... what are you up to this morning??

Blessings,
Tereza

**** If you are here and read the entire post here is another tip for finding FREE books online READCENTRAL.com and a link for a another great read The Gold Thread - A story for the Young by Norman MAcleod.

Reading List of October 2011

2011-11-16T14:21:00.000-08:00

My DD8 has read all the Boxcar Children books available in our Library, probably about 30 or so. I purchased her a couple that she really wanted to read and were not available for borrowing. So, we had to find another series for her to read. She reads a bit of everything from poetry to textbooks, science and non-fiction books, to fun easy superficial juvenile books.
I found Hank the Cowdog series and she is enjoying them so (here is the list to proof):

Hank the Cowdog #1
The Further Adventures of Hank the Cowdog #2
It's a Dog's Life #3

Hank the Cowdog - Murder in the Middle Pasture #4
Faded Love #5
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie #6

The Curse of the Incredible Priceless Corncob #7
The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse #8
The Case of the Halloween Ghost #9
Every Dog Has His Day #10
Lost In The Dark Unchanted Forest #11
The Case of the Fiddle-Playing Fox #12
all the books up to number 33.

William Kidd and the Pirates of the Indian Ocean by John Malam
Dragoon Trouble by Penelope Lively
No Excuses by Kyle Maynard

Eyewitness Books – Insects

Children's Guide to Insects and Spiders by Jinny Johnson

Nature Close Up – Seeds and Seelings by Elaine Pascoe/ Photographs by Dwight Kuhn

Eyewitness Books - Plant

Nature Club – Trees and Leaves – Althea

Fun with Science – Trees and Leaves

The Plant-and-Grow Project Book by Ulla Dietl

there were more but I can't remember them now and didn't keep up a record this time. Too tired.

We probably re-read a few for the sake of the little ones.

We are reading our American History HERE and we stopped at Chapter 13 so we could study and celebrate Thanksgiving during the month of November. We will be reading lots of books on Thanksgiving and different versions of how it began and how it became a National Holiday.

What have you been reading to your children? I am always amazed at the wonderful FREE resources there are on the internet or at our public library. Although I would love to have a huge library at home, I rather live simply than have shelves full of books. :)

ooooh, my cranberry apple walnut cake is smelling so good... can't wait to eat it!! Ten more minutes and it's out of the oven. :)

Tereza

We got....

2011-11-13T08:05:00.000-08:00


L E A V E S !!! All over our property!!!

and

Buckwheat pancakes with homemade blueberry syrup!

How about you? :)

Happy Sunday!

Tereza

FREE!!! FREE!! FREE!!!

2011-10-31T22:04:00.000-07:00

I had seen Khan on TV a while back and filed him in my brain to look him up on a later date. He is a genius who began doing video tutorials on YouTube and it has escalated in an amazing way. So now, it's available for FREE for anyone... there's Math, Algebra, Calculus, Chemistry, History and everything in between. Watch the video below to know more and then go check out his website.

If you have gifted children or you are just tired of teaching the same thing over and over to your homeschooled child, or you are just busy and want a break, his website could be the solution. :) I know for my children that enjoy computer work and like different flavors in their learning, they will love this.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Blessings,
Tereza

Beautiful Fall episode 2

2011-10-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at the things I see around me. At our new house we have plenty of trees that change colors in the Fall. I took so many pictures and the above is one of them. My favorite color is yellow and mix it with browns, reds and green. Oh, what a picture!!!

Remember where I shared about the acorns that have covered our drive way and how we picked and were going to use them? Well, they didn't turn out that good. I am a nut fanatic. I am from Brazil and there we eat Brazil nuts, cashews and gigantic pine nuts. I have picked these, cracked them and used them in breads and cookies and more. We roast our nuts too and eat them like Americans eat potato chips.

But, back to the acorns... I processed them but the tannin flavor was just too strong. I didn't find it palatable at all. So, yeah, didn't make anything with them, threw that batch away and left the rest on the ground for the deers and squirrels. :)

I have been making cookies though... using Chia Seeds and coconut oil... I will share more of those later with recipes...

I just did a search on YouTube about the Acorns (I feel like a failure that my acorn project didn't work out specially since I have so many of them in my own front yard.) and you know what I think I will try this again. I will keep you posted with pictures this time.

HERE is an amazing post about being THANKFUL!!

Blessings,
tereza

Look what I found!

2011-10-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

:) Tereza

Beautiful Fall!!

2011-10-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

I love that my children are not in school. Days like today come to confirm our decision to homeschool. It was a perfect day outside and the children and I spent about 2 hours picking acorns, riding bikes, taking pictures, riding our skateboard down our drive away and just laughing and enjoying each other. This day made me think of my school days locked up inside a classroom wishing to be outside enjoying the sunshine that I could see stream in through the very high windows. Have you ever noticed that they are put way up high? Light can still come in but you can't look out because they are out of reach. It's sad to be stuck between 4 walls.

Here are some snapshots of our fun day. Now that we own almost 4 acres of land we are having so much fun enjoying nature around us.

Leaves are beginning to change.

One of my favorites shots is to capture all my children TOGETHER.

Never ate acorn. Have you? Will let you know how they taste. :)


Enjoy life!

What have you been up this beautiful October??

Blessings,

Tereza

Be still, my fluttering heart!

2011-10-13T14:34:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite pictures of my 2 oldest children. It was taken on a Fall day as we watched a parade of horses and mules. I was playing on a free photo editing program the other day and I cropped and used some fun effects and this is the result.

My prayer is that this closeness and tenderness will always be in their hearts for one another. :)

Anyway, fall is here!! What have you been up to??

We visited Gulf shores a few days ago. You can certainly check out THIS VIDEO to see the playful mammals that we saw. The children were thrilled to experience this fun cruise.

I would like to tell you that if you ever need a place in Gulf Shores you need to check out Dana Flynn's condos. They are very modern, clean and beautifully decorated. The link is for one of her condos, but she has 4 for you to choose from. HERE is her WEBSITE.

We are also busy with so many things... too many to tell them all. I have photos to share of some projects and leaves changing but they will have to wait for another post. The children are calling my name... it's snack time!! I just wanted to check in because it has been almost 2 weeks since my last post! :)

Blessings,
Tereza

Reading list of September 2011

2011-10-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

School year has started for everybody else. We don't actually stop learning so for me we "do school" all year long. If you have followed our reading lists so far, you can see we don't stop reading. Here are the books we read this past month of September:

Leif Ericsson Explorer of Vinland (circa 1000) - We the People by Dan Zadra

Many Nations - An Alphabet of Native America by Joseph Bruchac
Amazon Diary - the Jungle Adventures of Alex Winters
The Mystery at the Alamo - a BoxCard children's mystery
The Nice Book by David Ezra Stein
Elmer and the Lost Teddy by David McKee
Gumbrella by Barry Root
Me with You by Kristy Dempsey and Christopher Denise

The planet's most extreme gluttons by Animal Planet
The planet's most extreme speed (the 10 fastest creatures on the planet) by Animal Planet
The planet's most extreme survivors (the 10 most extreme survivors on the planet) by Animal Planet

What would you do?

2011-09-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

last night, my DH and I watched the video below. It was very thought provoking and very timely important. Would you take 30 minutes of your day and watch this? It will change the way you think if not your life.

When you are done, share your thoughts or share the video in your blog. Don't just stand by and do nothing.

Be blessed,

Tereza

What are you reading?

2011-09-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

A while back I shared how as a homeschooling Mom of 4 I still manage to read and how I do it.

Today I want to share with you the books that are currently part of my reading pile.

- The Bible. I read it everyday when I do devotions with the children. Then I try to read it later by myself or meditate on a few verses during the day.

From my library I snatched a few very interesting books:

- It's my Turn. by Ruth Bell Graham
While Billy Graham carried on his work throughout the world, Ruth Graham carried on her work of bringing up five children. In this book, she provides a charming behind-the-scenes look at the Graham's life. Mrs. Graham is a wise woman and this book is really encouraging me and helping me see the vision and purpose of keeping home.

- No Excuses by Kyle Maynard
the true story of a congenital amputee who became a champion in wrestling and in life.

- Half the Sky - Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D.Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn - Stories of women around the world and how liberal organizations are helping them turn their lives around. I thought this book was very bias. In many instances they criticized Christians efforts and organizations because of their Pro-Life position. It was eye opening and helped me have a Biblical point of view of issues.

Books I have recently purchased and been reading through:

The Mission of Motherhood and The Ministry of Motherhood both books by Sally Clarkson.

Future Men by Douglas Wilson

Visionary Womanhood Gatherings E-Book by Natalie Klejwa

No Ordinary Child: Unlocking the Leader Within Your Child by Denise mira

Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham Jr.

As I shared in the post I linked at the beginning of this post I really believe the Lord speaks to me through books I read. I feel He is strenghtening me and showing me my purpose as a Mother and the vision He has for my family and children.

What are you reading? What is the Lord showing you at this time?

Be blessed,

Tereza

Super Mom is back!

2011-09-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

The other day I wrote a post sharing how I had a good day at our house - got schooling done, cleaned house and we had a peaceful ambiance. Ha! Well, if you are a doer like me, you probably have felt like Super Mom before when you got your list accomplished. I did. I felt good.

Well, Super Mom, was back this week again. She baked cookies. No, not cookies from a tub or a frozen package. From scratch!!! Yes, she found all the ingredients in her pantry and baked cookies with her children. Five dozen of them!!! Isn't that amazing??!! I thought so, specially since she has done that probably 3 times in 8 years since her first child was born.

Super Mom at my house cooks homemade meals from scratch almost everyday. But she doesn't bake! She thinks it's superfluous!! Not necessary. Ha!

Well, I will tell you that Super Mom enjoyed her time with her children as she baked the cookies. They reviewed math concepts as they mixed in the ingredients; we had some cozy warm feelings; wonderful memories were made in the new remodeled kitchen and the recipe turned out so good that Super Mom will be baking more cookies. :)

So, if you would like to be Super Mom too, try this recipe. Now instead of M&Ms, I used the chocolate chips I found in my pantry, plus a bar of dark chocolate. Instead of 1 1/2 cup of M&Ms, I had 1 cup of chocolate chunks. We did find a few lost M&Ms in the back of the pantry so we used them to decorate some of the cookies.

If you are not a Super Mom who bakes I would definitely advice you to try it! Your children's smiles will be worth it!!!

Next week, I will share how Super Mom is becoming an Art Major and teaching her children art at the same time! Ha!

What have you been up to with your children?

Blessings,
Tereza

A musical day in my homeschooling household.

2011-09-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day, you know, the kind where there was no screaming or fighting. We did devotions and I felt the children actually learned something because they were interested and asking questions. We did some school without grumbling or complaining. I managed to clean a bathroom and vacuum the whole house. Laundry was also folded and put away and I even managed to wash a load too.

I think I could definitely have some happy tune playing in the background. :)

So after lunch, my two oldest practiced their typing on the computer on the BBC website. As I was browsing the site with my DD4 to find her something, we found this quick lesson on instruments and orchestra disguised as a mystery game. DD8 and DD4 worked through the lessons together and had a great time. I learned some new things and felt like a "super homeschooling Mom".

Ha!! Today was definitely a good day and to make it even better, it's Friday. :) Thank you Lord for blessing us!!

PS Have you checked out my Etsy store lately? I got some pretty cards for sale. :) What are you up to this weekend?

Blessings,

Tereza

Reading list of August 2011

2011-09-06T15:42:00.000-07:00

Also reading:

Stories of Gorilla Country by Paul du Chailu
Parables from Nature by Margaret S. Gatty
The Mystery at the Fair (Boxcar Children Special (Pb))
The Giant Yo-Yo Mystery (Boxcar Children (Pb))

God rewards Patience.

2011-09-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have been meditating on the Word of God a lot lately. I got this sudden hunger to know and live more of it in my life and to see it prosper in my children and husband's lives as well.

I found this article on PATIENCE. I had never heard that God rewarded patience. I didn't realize how blunt and straightforward the Word of God was when talking about perseverance and patience.

I mean, I knew patience was an important tool to the Christian life but as I read this article it was like a light bulb went on.

How are you feeding your heart lately? Eat and chew on the Word of God everyday. Have faith. :)

Blessings,
Tereza

Drawing up cats!!

2011-08-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today I would like to share my chidlren's drawings with you. I bought a card game from Rich Davis called Pick and Draw. The game is a tool to teach children how to use simple shapes to draw cartoon like faces. So after 30 minutes of our first game session, I went on to Rich Davis website and we watched his videos together. I figured it out that the game card can also be used to draw other cartoon like creatures. The kids got excited and they decided to try drawing cats from one of his videos. Here is the result:

DD4

DS6

DD8

Aren't these fun??

How do you encourage your children's creativity?? Even if you are not artistic, there is so much FREE stuff on the web that you should try your hand at it. Please share in the comments. :)

Blessings,
Tereza

Music and Dance Appreciation - Slavonic Dance no. 7

2011-08-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

I am trying a different approach for our home education this semester. We are doing Math, Copywork, dictation and English, which depending on the age is Phonics, Grammar or Spelling, on Monday to Wednesday. We do Devotions and Bible everyday. On Thursday we are doing Music Appreciation and Friday we will be doing Games.

We began with this week's show found on Classics for Kids website. I downloaded the Activity Sheet that covered Slavonic Dance no. 7 . While the children (ages 8 to 18 months old) did some of the activities on the sheets, we heard the show. Then we discussed nationalism, Revolutionary War, Europe's old map, countries of Europe, freedom and dominion of one country over another. Once we heard Slavonic Dance no.7 I did I search on YouTube and we found different versions for the children's entertainment, like this one:

Guitar Quartet

Then we talked about Russian Dance and the children danced while we heard the music again. This time, my DD8 recorded the ups and down of the piece and we decided to watch Russian dancers dancing to it. We watched these videos:

Russian soldiers 1
Russian soldiers 2 - a more complete video.

Then we played the second video again MUTED and opened another tab and played the video with the Slavonic Dance no.7. The children were amazed how the dancers actually danced to the rhythm of the song.

The children enjoyed this time very much. Then because my DS6 is obsessed with computers at the moment, he talked about a game he is playing on PBS kids about Asthma and I explained to him what it really is and how one gets it. He was concerned that he might get it. So we watched this video about it and what happens to your lungs. Then I explained about allergies and the reason why we don't have cats: I am allergic to cats.

This is not the first time that we begin with one theme and end up with a completely different one. Home education is really an adventure. :)

Are you doing anything different this semester for your homeschooling journey? Please share.

Blessings,
Tereza

Webster's Pages journaling cards

2011-08-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

So what do you do with the journaling cards or tags from Webster's pages?? This is what I made this past week before we began our new schedule for our home education.

Take Joy in Today is from a stamp set from PaperTrey Ink. I also used their buttons set stamp.

Take Joy in Today...

enjoy every moment....

BABY... Love grows in happy homes...

enjoy every moment.

This is a BABY card... have you noticed that it is the same journaling tag as the one used in the above card? But I used it for a different theme. How fun is that??

What have you been up to??

Blessings,
Tereza

More Beatriz Jennings

2011-08-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody,

I hope you are enjoying this last part of Summer.

Today I have some cards to share. As I shared HERE I bought some Digital collages created by Beatriz Jennings. She is a designer and has been published many times on various magazines. Recently she began creating her own digital sheets that you can use on cards and even scrapbook layouts. You can find a link to her Etsy shop on her blog.

Here is a close up of that darling label she made. I created the card with a birthday or encouragement in mind, but once I was done I realized that it could be a Christmas card too!!

This is a baby card that I made using her scrabble letter digital sheet. They are adorable. I am completely addicted to them!!

As a background Daisy D's baby scrapbook papers. They are old but I loooove them. I save every little piece of scrap to use them in my cards or even in mini albums.

This rose bud is made of cotton t-shirts. In my house, I use our old, torn clothes as rags. Sometimes they are kitchen rags, wash rags and sometimes I tear up some strips and transform them into roses.

Even the leaves are cut from the fabric and then I dye them with distressed ink pads. So easy!

Let me know if you would like to see a demonstration. I might make a video of them.

I hope you enjoyed my cards today. I have more coming soon. What have you been up to??

Blessings,
Tereza

Reading list for July 2011 - The Boxcar children, Whole Heart ministries and more!!

2011-08-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, WOW!! what a summer!! My parents were here and we moved into a new house and had so many projects going at the same time. I thought the children might slow down their reading time, but no! They are reading more than never!!

My DD8 discovered Magic Tree House, but after witches and what nots we decided that they weren't the best books for her. So we have tried The Boxcar children series instead and she loved it!!

I also found Whole Heart Ministries and have ordered many of their books to read. I also read Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches on my Kindle. It's a wonderful book with so much wisdom. If you find yourself overwhelmed with your little ones and discouraged this book is a must. It will give you new insight and lift your spirits as you look at your children with new eyes.

Happy Summer!!

Blessings,
Tereza

Julia's Memory Box

2011-08-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

AS promised here is the video where I share the latest custom work I have made. This is a memory box I made for a Mom of 4 living blessings who lost a 20 week old baby girl. Although already a Mom of many, the loss of this baby created a gap in her heart. Her hope is that she will one day meet her baby again, in heaven.

This was such a sweet project and there are so many details.

I used Melissa Frances pearls, Prima roses, buttons and stamps from PapertreyInk and sparkles from WEbster's pages.

I used old Daisy D's vintage papers, Graphic 45 and digital sheets from Beatriz Jennings.

The box measures about 7"x7 and it is 4" deep.

As a gift for this Mom, I made her a journaling notebook that I added chipboard tiles that spell the word PRAY. I thought she could use it to jot down Bible verses, or her thoughts or even hearfelt prayers. My experience is that when you write down your prayers you can at a later date see how God answered them in a marvelous way.

Here is another close up and some details from the other sides.

I would love to hear your comments. :) and if you are a Mom who has lost a baby to a miscarriage or abortion and would like a memory box or a keepsake journal book, or scrapbook, I would be honored to work with you to bring your vision to life. Just email me.

Blessings,
Tereza

Another keepsake to remember a baby girl...

2011-08-07T17:05:00.000-07:00

A few months back, I had another request for a memory box. As you might remember, I made this one for Little Phillip. The one I just finished is for Julia. Her Mom told me that she lost her precious baby and wanted to have a box to keep and treasure her sonograms and other keepsakes, until she meets her again in Heaven.

I will be posting more photos with more details this coming week and hopefully make a video for my Youtube channel soon.

Off to enjoy my Blessings, :)

Tereza

Reading list of June 2011

2011-07-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

I am late putting up this list... June was a monthful if that word existed! We moved to a new house, my parents arrived from Brazil, we had Summer Reading program at our local library, and we read lots and lots of books.

DS5 is now reading independently and some of the books he read were:



DD8 read:

Shipwreck! A survive! Story by Jake Maddox

Other books that we read to all the children or the little ones:





For more of our Reading Lists and on books I use for our home education click HERE.

DD8 also read a few Magic Tree House books... but we quickly switched to the Boxcar children series instead. Junie B. Jones was also another series that she read a couple of books from and then we decided that they were not suitable for what we are trying to teach our children.

Blessings,
Tereza

One proud Momma....

2011-06-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes readers can be pretty boring and the stories pretty lame. DS5 is reading and he went a completely different route than DD8 when she was reading at his level. For one, there is no fight, no struggles. I don't have to force it. We began phonics because he requested it. So last December, we began Kindergarten Phonics... every other day we would do a page or two, or as many as he wanted. Sometimes we went days without doing any phonics, and then we would pick it up again. He is now almost finishing First Grade phonics and instead of readers he is reading Mo Williams. Again his own choice.

As you know we go to the library every other week, and we check out about 30 books at a time. They just so happen to have some new books with Gerald and The Pig and DS5 picked them up at home and began reading them. Because they are written with dialog balloons like comic books he asked me to read them with him. So the first time I was Piggie and he was Elephant. The second time we reversed roles.

The next morning I woke up and heard voices in the living room and thought he was talking and playing with DD3 but no, he was reading his Mo Williems books again by himself. Everybody else was sleeping.

So today we are going to go back to the library and get some more Piggie and Elephant books and maybe even the Pigeon book.

Living and learning. Each child is so different and unschooling has really helped me see that we are NOT all fishes and we shouldn't be swimming in schools. HA!!!

Blessings,
Tereza

Reading list of May 2011

2011-06-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

Here are the books we read this past month. For a look at some Audio Books and other subjects we have been studying through mp3 files look HERE.

The list below was read by DD8 and by me and DH to the children. DS5 is now reading readers. All books that are level 1 or level 2 were read by him on his own.

Ready, Set, Swim! (Rainbow Fish & Friends (Hardcover))

Garfield's Furry Tales
Grandma's Latkes
Bonny's Big Day
A Chair for My Mother 25th Anniversary Edition (Reading Rainbow Books)
Jack and Jill and Big Dog Bill: A Phonics Reader (Step Into Reading)
Clouds (Now I Know)
Patulous: The Prairie Rattlesnake
Alfonse, Where Are You? (Dragonfly Books)
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (Lyle the Crocodile)

More books coming in the month of June. We love to participate in the Summer Reading Program put together by our local Public Library. For our family, it's a fun activity where we meet new friends, enjoy crafts, science exhibits and plays. We love it!!

What are you up to this summer??? What books have you been reading?

Blessings,
Tereza

Learning about ART

2011-05-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

*** lots of links, lots of information ----->>>>> proceed with caution!!! ******

I am a very curious person and always eager to learn new stuff. I love to browse on Youtube and watch Orchestras playing or artists sharing painting or drawing techniques. So I recently began sharing those with my children.

I also subscribe to The Crafty Classroom. I found Valerie in one of my many surfs through the web. She was using Van Gogh (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists) to teach her children about the artist and she did some cool projects with it. I had to jump in and play too.

Here is my DD8 artwork. Instead of the pastels used in Valerie's tutorial, we used crayons. You can still see the details of Van Gogh's artwork because of the glue behind the crayons. click on the image to see the details and make sure to check Valerie's link.

I am always for using what I have in hands instead of running to the store and buying new supplies. I got my house overflowing with stuff. How about you?

So anyway, I requested the book at my library. They didn't have it so they borrowed it from another library. yes, they can do that! Check out in your library and see if they have this service available. It's free to you.

After working with Van Gogh we borrowed the DaVinci book. I had been researching a craft about Resurrection Sunday that did not involve eggs or bunnies but Biblical icons instead. I was glad when I received Barbara Curtis' monthly newsletter and she had some very helpful links in there.

One of the links lead to a website that taught how to make the scene painted by DaVinci of the Last Supper. How appropriate and I had the book!! As soon as my DD8 saw the craft supplies she exclaimed "oh, we are going to do the Last supper! I saw that painting from that book that I just read!"

Here is our Last Supper craft using egg cartons and print out coloring pages. All of my children participated in making the scene: some coloring, others cutting the figurines, another checking the original painting to see where each disciple went. We also heard the account on audio CD. Click on the image to enlarge it and see the details.

Here is a close up of the craft. You can see the details of the actual supper on the table and the egg cartons behind the paper figurines.

I have also purchased the book on the left. I am planning to begin using it with my children. As you might remember my children love to draw! Don't all children love to draw? LOL

I am learning to relax with my children. Messes still make me squirmish but I am learning to go with the flow. :) I hope you will take the time to play and do some art today. :)

Blessings,
Tereza

Just so you know...

2011-05-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

yes, I am still around here...

I haven't posted much of my art lately and some people have been complaining... so here are a few of my latest creations...

More coming soon... I promise!

Blessings,

Tereza

What's for dinner? Homemade Pizza

2011-05-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get stuck when preparing dinner? I do.

I used to have a menu planned out but then I got bored with it. I love to create on a whim and the menu didn't allow for much impulsiveness. :)

anyway, the other day, I was stuck and I was talking to a friend on the phone and she said she had used my idea of making pizzas on the grill. Instead of the grill, she used the oven and flour tortillas.

So, I thought, "hey! I bet I can make my pizzas in the oven too!"

So I got a couple of Jiffy pizza crust mix boxes and added 1 cup of hot water. While the over preheated the dough rested. Once the oven was heated to 450 F, I cut the dough into pieces and rolled each into a 6" diameter "circle". (As you can see on my photo they are not really round!) I laid them on top of the oven rack for 2-3 minutes each side or until slightly golden.

Once they were cooked, I laid my ingredients on each piece and returned them to the oven to melt the cheese. Probably another 5-7 minutes, depending how well melted you like your cheese.

When I roll my dough I use whole wheat flour to add a bit of texture to the crust. I spread tomato sauce on each one, mozzarella cheese, beautiful big red slices of tomato, slices of Vidalia onions and fresh basil from my garden. Once they are ready, drizzle extra virgin olive oil on them and sprinkle sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Yum!! As you can see I couldn't resist and took a bite before I took the picture!!

These are fun and easy to make. You can engage your children and let them roll their own pizzas, or to avoid bigger messes, just let them pick their own toppings and arrange them on top of the cooked pizza crusts. My children love them.

You can also cook the crust ahead of time, and freeze them. When you need them, take them out lay out your toppings and put them in the oven to melt the cheese and lunch or dinner is ready. Enjoy!!!

Tereza

Thrifty Thursday: The Day time stood Still

2011-05-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

I decided in the beginning of this year not to buy any more papers and embellishments until I downsize my studio. I had way too many papers from old collections that I love and just couldn't part with them. So I am using them. It has been a breath of fresh air to find new ways to use them. I have been incorporating them to more artistic and free style scrapbooking and it has been so much fun.

Here is a layout I just finished last week.

All the papers used are old... maybe 5 to 6 years old. Some are from Walmart and some from a QVC kit I purchased. could you tell??

I drew some flowers on a brick colored paper and then cut it out. I then stamped some white prima flowers I had on hand and added some orange brads for color. There!! My own customized flowers. I talked about how to customize your letters HERE or how to distress brads and eyelets HERE.

Some plain old white acrylic paint brushed on the background and then sprinkled on it made for a sure artistic and shabby look.

So here is my Thrifty Thursday tip: use your old papers to their advantage. For example, if the paper is vintagy and has vintage image on them, cut them out and use them as embellishments. If the papers are colorful use strips or small pieces of it to bring color to your layout. Are the papers too busy?? cut them into strips and make flowers out of them or punch out circles and create your own background.

There is so much out there and I just can't afford it all. So I am revamping my old papers. How about you? What do you do with old collections?

For more Thirfty Thursdays come HERE.

Be blessed,

Tereza

Reading list of April 2011

2011-05-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

Here are the books we read this past month. For a look at some Audio Books and other subjects we have been studying through mp3 files look HERE. The list below was read by DD8 and by me and DH to the children. DS5 is also reading at level 2. So sometimes he will grab one of the advanced books and look at the pictures and say he is reading. I believe he is! Soon it will manifest as he will read aloud for our enjoyment too. :)

Still reading Eloise. :) To see other Eloise books available check my book list for March 2011.
Eloise At Christmastime
Eloise Takes A Bawth
Eloise in Paris (Eloise Series)

Eloise's Ready to Read Level 1 books:
Eloise's Summer Vacation (Ready-to-Read. Level 1)
Eloise and the Snowman (Ready-to-Read. Level 1)
Eloise's Pirate Adventure (Ready-to-Read. Level 1)
Eloise and the Very Secret Room (Ready-to-Read. Level 1)
Eloise Visits the Zoo (Eloise Ready-to-Read)
Eloise at the Wedding (Ready-to-Read. Level 1)
Eloise Throws a Party! (Eloise Ready-to-Read)
Eloise Skates! (Eloise Ready-to-Read)

Silverlicious (Pinkalicious)
Vera's Talent (Doggie Tails)
A New Kind of Life for Eddie Eagle

Nate the Great and the Phony Clue (Dell Young Yearling)
Nate the Great and the Pillowcase

I.Q. Goes to the Library
Brownie & Pearl Get Dolled Up (Brownie and Pearl)

The Kids' Cookbook: Recipes from Around the World

Our Farm: By the Animals of Farm Sanctuary

Explore the World of Man-Made Wonders
Age of Exploration (Beginning History)

The Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale
Young Cam Jansen and the Library Mystery

Please check on March's reading list to see some of the books that we continued to read on into April.

I will soon share some of the crafts we have done that were prompted by the books on this list.

What books have you and your children read this month?

Blessings, Tereza

Thank you, Mom!!

2011-05-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

I don't remember how old I was when my Mom told me the story about how she did NOT breastfeed me. She was 17 years old when she got married, 13 months later I was born.

As a young Mom, she trusted her own Mom and the doctors completely. When her breasts became swollen with the first milk and hardened, her doctor told her that THAT milk was NO good for the baby. He also told her NOT to breastfeed me during the night otherwise she would spoil me.

My Mom tells the story of how she would cuddle me and rock me through the night, trying to soothe my desperate hungry cries. She would hold me close to her chest. I still remember the regret in her eyes, as she told me this, realizing the torture she had put me through as I smelled the milk letting down from her swollen breasts, and being denied what was mine by God and nature. I knew her own Mom had breastfed her so I inquired about Grandma's reaction. Unfortunately Grandma thought that the male doctor knew better than her.

I would say, with no doubt, that this story was one of the reasons I decided to nurse all my children. This story put the resolve in my heart to co-sleep and nurse my babies in the middle of the night, and all night if they wanted to. I cannot imagine parenting my children without breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding taught me to trust my instincts, to believe God and His Word, to value the wisdom of older women and to question modern research and data that does not support breastfeeding.

Now, after breastfeeding 3 children successfully until their second birthday at least, I am peacefully and trustingly breastfeeding my 4th who is still in our bed nursing every night.

Breastfeeding has made me a better Mom and has been an evolving journey.

When my first daughter was born, I breastfed her whenever she wanted, but I felt tied down. I felt a lot of pressure to perform. I had to be the Mom, the wife, the creative scrapbooker, the Christian. I felt I had to juggle all those positions and always look the best and keep everything running smooth. So, of course, when I had to sit down and nurse for an extensive time sometimes, I felt very frustrated. I got angry and resented my daughter. So although I knew it was the best thing for her and for me, I resented it. (I have come to the realization of that and have long forgiven myself and my daughter.)

When my son was born, 2.5 years later, breastfeeding became a moment to relax and take a nap. It became my opportunity to rest. My son, more laid back than my first daughter did not want to breastfeed all the time, and usually ate and slept without much fuss. So while I didn't have to be tied down for long, I actually wanted to. While breastfeeding him, I could let the house go and get my feet up. I finally realized that I didn't have to wear make up to go to church and I finally gave myself permission to not have to proof anything to anybody.

When daughter #2 made her entrance 2 years later, I realized that I wanted to be a more gentle parent. I wanted to be caring, loving, peaceful, a mindful parent - one not only mindful of my children's physical needs but their emotional and spiritual needs to. I wanted to be more present.

Now with daughter #3, who is a year old, I find myself realizing that breastfeeding goes beyond supplying your child's best food. It's nourishment for their soul, their mind, their spirit, but it is also nourishment for a woman's life. Yes, there are so many physical benefits for a woman who breastfeeds, however I think the most benefits are the ones that happen in the soul and spirit realms. As a woman who breastfeeds and puts her children first, I have grown spiritually. I am constantly seeking how to do things better but without pressures, external or my own. I have finally understood what it is to rest in God, to wait upon the Lord. I am a mindful parent, seeking to be in touch with my children and their needs in all aspects of their lives. I am learning to be in the moment. I am less anxious about everything. I don't worry about money, my physical appearance. I don't worry about what people think. When I do worry, I pray and commit the matter to Jesus. I am finding that I am constantly making the decision to rest instead of fret and worry.

I have not arrived. I have much to learn and to mature, but I know breastfeeding has changed me. I don't think I would be the parent I am today if I had not decided to breastfeed, no matter what. As for my Mom, not only did she learn to breastfeed her children but she is one of my greatest supporters. Thank you, Mom for sharing your mistakes so I could learn and do better. Thank you, Mom, for sharing your life and for being there for me. I love you!

How has your Mom influenced you to become a better Mom? What is one thing you did as a Mom that contributed to change you as a person?

Reasons to Breastfeed past 12 months of age

Blessings,
Tereza

Expecting Matron of Honor

2011-05-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I had a request to create a "Will you be my Matron of Honor?" card for a bride's friend that would be 7 months pregnant at the time of the wedding.

How fun!! I had a couple of images and the bride got to pick her favorite!

She picked the image on the right and I got to color the baby shoes in baby blue since her friend is expecting a baby boy!

The other fun and personal touch is that inside there is a poem that says something like "I hope we are both able to fit into our dresses on the wedding day."

Would you like a custom card made? Can't find what you are looking for anywhere? Please email me... I work hard toward customizing and personalizing handmade creations for weddings, showers or keepsake treasures. Browse my Custom Work, Bridal Cards, Altered Albums categories to see some of my work.

Be blessed,

Tereza

Do you hear that?

2011-05-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

I grew up listening to stories. My Grandmother would tell me stories at bedtime. She lived far way and we only saw each other every few years during summer vacation. But during that time, I would wear her out at bedtime asking her to tell over and over again the same stories.

Looking back those stories were pretty creepy. Some had death in it and awful things, but they were a connection between me and my Grandmother's unconditional love. She would be so tired after a whole day of service to us. We would stay at her house for at least a month and she would fix us 3 meals a day. She would let us get wet in the rain and then run inside and leave tracks through the whole house. I never heard her complaining. My Grandmother was synonym of love and fun.

Anyway, you can imagine by bedtime she would be exhausted from entertaining and taking care of us all (mind you not only us children but the adults and the friends and relatives that stopped by to visit with us). So, after telling me the first story she would be snoozing off and mixing the story up and leaving details out. I would always shake her and say "Grandma that is wrong. That is not how it goes. you are sleeping. " In my child's mind it never dawned on me that she was exhausted and I should let her sleep.

Because of her, I love a good story telling. I have a good listening ear and I can remember things years later.

In an effort to instill that in my children, I not only tell them stories and read books out loud to them but I seek out good story telling tools.

I first heard of Adventures in Odyssey radio dramas somewhere in the internet. So I quickly purchased a few Cd collections and although we enjoy them, a lot of their stories are school based. Also some of their themes are geared to children 10 and older. There are themes like bullying and abortion, that although important, are not very appropriate for my children because they are still under 8 years old. Some of the themes come with a self explanatory title or a warning. Some themes are really fun and a great tool for teaching History and the difference between a Christian world view and a secular one.

I try to listen to the episodes first so I know what they are about, or I listen to the episode with my children so I can explain and answer questions as they arise. So after a couple of CD collections we dropped this production for now. I think I will probably pick it up again in a few years.

Then I purchased a couple of Laura Ingall's books on audio CDs. When I was 13 years old I loved her books so I thought my children would enjoy them too.

We heard the CDs on road trips and a few times at home. My DD8 loved them but my son wasn't as interested. I noticed that at first it was really hard for him to concentrate. However through listening to audio books DS5 is learning to focus and not get easily distracted.

Then I purchased Jonathan Park... oh, that was a hit with all my children!!! They love dinosaurs and anything that has to do with science and animals. These radio dramas meet their needs exactly. Just like Adventures in Odyssey each episode is about 20 minutes long, the big difference is that the episodes are centered around a family - a Christian family that homeschool and believe in Creationism. So the episodes are filled with Bible verses, real life situations, adventures, mysteries but also lots of scientific information.

We heard the first CD collection on a road trip to the beach. Now my DD8 can't go to sleep without listening to one or 2 episodes every night. We are on the 5th volume and she has heard each one many times over. This is a really fun way to cover History, Science, Math and Bible teaching all at the same time.

Now for my latest discovery!!! A few weeks ago, I found Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer. I went to the Peace Hill Press website and for $25.00 I was able to download Volume I that covers the Ancient Times. This morning we heard the first chapter read by Jim Weiss.

We learned about Nomads, Farmers, villages and Cities. We learned about primitive irrigation systems and how and what nomads ate. We had a glimpse of what life by the Nile was like. It was so much fun. My 3 children under 8 years old gathered around the kitchen table armed with crayons and coloring pencils and blank white paper. While we heard the narrative they colored and drew pictures. We paused the narrative quite a few times so they could explain what they heard and showcase the pictures of their primitive irrigation systems, rivers and canals.

I perused the internet to show them images of the primitive irrigation systems and the current ones. They were able to compare and contrast and analyze how life is easier or harder because of them. Home educating has been such an adventure for us, in the literal sense. :)

What are some of the things that you do with your children that bring back your childhood connections or memories? Do you think that a good listening ear is important?

I hope that this post was helpful. Be blessed today,

Tereza

Tornado in my backyard!!!

2011-05-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

Well almost... we had one go by north of us and another south of us... The closest one was just 20 miles away. Yes, I feel so blessed that we were not hit! There are people coming from miles around us to buy supplies in our town because they are without power and some, unfortunately, lost everything. Others lost their precious ones.

It's been a crazy week. We are helping out the best we can those around us. Pray for the people of Alabama and if you can help any other way do so!

HERE you can see some of the videos I have bookmarked. Some show live videos of the tornado as it hit Tuscaloosa and other shows the aftermath.

If you have ever had labor pains I know you can recognize these signs all around the world! Look up our Redemption is near!

Hiding under the shadow of the Almighty,

Tereza

Video, photos and more on Little Phillip.

2011-04-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

Jennifer had a miscarriage at 12 weeks. Little Phillip's spirit never made into this world but he is in Heaven with His Heavenly Father.

His Mom wanted to remember him and asked me to create a chipboard baby album and a keepsake box for him. This was the first time I received such a request. But I didn't think it strange because Phillips was a baby boy just born too early who wasn't able to live on this earth.

Unfortunately many women are told that at 12 weeks, when they have an abortion, that their baby is not a baby at all, it's just a blob of tissue. It's not so. You can see HERE the video of the album and box and photos of Little Phillip.

Whenever I receive a request for a custom order I spend as much time on my studio working on it as I do thinking, praying and brainstorming about it.

I view my custom orders as a ministry. It's a privilege to create something unique for someone. Something they can't find anywhere else.

I always pray asking God to bless my hands, to show what to use, how to go about it. Many times I browse the web for inspiration. Sometimes, I ask God to show me creative ways to make something new and amazing. I, especially ask that He will help to create this customer's vision.

Every detail is important.

Jessica asked me for a box that would hold the 6"x6" album and other items that she will add to the box. This was the first time I covered and altered a box this big.

The box is about 8"x8"x4.5"

These sweet angels are from Rhea's blog. They are free and she has so many beautiful vintage images. Go check them out!!

The frame is a Prima Stamp. Pearls are Melissa Frances. Trim is Webster's Pages.

Papers are some really old Daisy D's collections that I love and I just bought duplicates of it and held on to it until the right time came to use them. :)

Bird nest can be found HERE. Chipboard letters are Tattered Angels and the chipboard hearts I cut them out myself with a pair of scissors and used glitter glue to embellish them.

I hope you were inspired by Little Phillip and His Mom's courage and grace to share him with the world.

Be blessed today,

Tereza

12 weeks pregnant....

2011-04-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. " Hosea 4:6

Do you know what is a pregnant woman carrying in her womb at 12 weeks?

Some people think that it is just a blob of tissue. Some people are told that it is just a blob of tissue. But that is not true.

I just finished creating a chipboard album and a keepsake box to hold photos of a 12 week old baby and I can tell you he is not a blob of tissue. His name is Phillip.

I never thought I carried a blob of tissue when I was 12 weeks pregnant but I was told by a doctor that it was so. I have sonograms of my DD8 at 12 weeks sucking her thumb and she was not a blob of tissue.

What do you think? Why do you think people want us to believe that a 12 week old baby is a blob of tissue?

Would you share Phillip's story with someone that does not know that a 12 week old baby is a BABY? Would you share this truth with someone today?

Blessings,
Tereza

PS More photos and a video coming of the album and box on a later post. :)

Thrifty Thursday : Salty, quick and yummy!!

2011-04-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

I love cole slaw but not the North American style. In Brazil, we blanch our cabbage. We also don't shred it, we slice it so it ends up in long strips.

At my house, I usually buy a whole cabbage and slice it. Then I saute some garlic and olive oil and add the cabbage. I season it with salt and pepper or a little cumin and saute everything until the cabbage is wilted. It takes about 10-15 minutes. I use high to medium heat so that the cabbage gets a bit braised. You have to watch and stir constantly. It's almost like cooking on a wok, you can't just walk off.

The children and the husband love the cabbage like this and it's still crunchy and has awesome flavor.

Now for the Thrifty Thursday tip... the other day I was craving some salty salad but did not have any lettuce or other green leaves. I did have some left over sauteed cabbage in the fridge. So I came up with this recipe... (Please know I don't measure anything. I do like Rachel Ray, I eye bawl everything.)

In a bowl I mixed:
Shredded carrots, (about 2 medium ones)
chopped celery, (2 stalks diced really small)
sliced Kalamata olives (probably about 12 big ones)
cilantro (one handful chopped)
and my left over cabbage. (I would say it was about 3-4 cups already cooked)

I seasoned it with some of the water from the kalamata olives, extra virgin olive oil and pepper. No need for salt since the cabbage was already seasoned and the water from the olives is pretty salty. Here is the result:

It was really good. It was crunchy, refreshing, savory and yummy all at the same time!!

It was such a great success that I made it again this time with some variations:

- Instead of celery I added sliced water chestnuts.
- Added some chopped grilled chicken breasts and 1 tablespoon of Mayo.
I served it on crackers instead of a side dish.

Here is my challenge to you: what salad can you whip up with ingredients you have right now in your fridge or pantry?

For more Thrifty Thursdays go HERE.

Be blessed,
Tereza

Reading list of March 2011

2011-04-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

<p>&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Want-Pony-Pals/dp/0590485830?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;tag=widgetsamazon-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;link_code=btl&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;camp=213689&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;creative=392969"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;I Want a Pony (Pony Pals #1)&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;l=btl&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;camp=213689&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;creative=392969&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;o=1&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;a=0590485830" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;</p> Here is my list of books we read during the month of March 2011. My reference list for future use.

This list contains the books we checked out in our library. Reading level varies and some were Read Alouds but most of them DD8 read by herself. She is the only one already reading. Wyzard or I read to the children.

Where do rivers go? (Ask me why)
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective

The Angel and the Donkey
The Toothpaste Millionaire
Ralph S. Mouse [RALPH S MOUSE] [Paperback]

Arthur Lost in the Museum (Step into Reading)
I'm Going to Read (Level 4): Class Pets (I'm Going to Read Series)
Who has dragon parades? (Ask me why)
Riddle-Icious
The Old Woman and Her Pig: An Old English Tale
I Want a Pony (Pony Pals #1) (the link shows just book #1 but I bought 2 volumes that contain 4 books each. DD8 read them all in a week).

The Big Golden Book of Christopher Columbus and other early adventures by Russell Bourne

And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, 75th Anniversary Edition (Classic Seuss)
The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins (Classic Seuss)

Bartholomew and the Oobleck: (Caldecott Honor Book) (Classic Seuss)
Daisy-Head Mayzie (Classic Seuss)
Eloise by Kay Thompson
Eloise in Paris (Eloise Series)
Left: the sound of L by Wonder Books - Alice K. Flanagan
Dino-basketball (Carolrhoda Picture Books)
Book! Book! Book!
Beverly Billingsly Borrows a Book
Cat Secrets
Stella Louella's Runaway Book

Books that we began reading in March and will be continuing reading in April...

History Stories for Children (Misc Homeschool)
The Book of Virtues for Young People: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories

There are many different themes covered here. Some books were used to cover Science, History, Biographies, Geography and more. And that was everything we read, besides Bible stories and many books we already owned.

Would you like to share your favorite books? Or the books you use to homeschool your children?

I am already compiling the Reading List for April and there are some really fun books in it, so be sure to check back next month.

Blessings,

Tereza

Against the current.

2011-04-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

Have you ever needed anything and did nothing about it? Maybe you had a desire for something or you had a financial need ?

Once I really needed a job.... the type of situation where if I didn't work I wouldn't eat. Not just a job to afford extra stuff but a job to provide for my basic needs. Well, the world tells you to GO GET it. The Lord tells you to REST in Him.

I remember that I went out to interviews, sent my resume to head hunters and looked at the newspaper ads every weekend. But what I remember the most was my Dad nagging me to go find a job. I remember telling him that I had done everything I could do, now I had to wait and rest in God. That was very foreign to my Dad. But it happened just like that.

I got a job where I least expected, not through the sources or places I had visited and not through my own effort. It was all God's doing. It doesn't always happen like that. But for me, God has taught me through resting and waiting in Him. MOST of everything that I have achieved with success or my greatest needs came from Him while I was just RESTING.

Do you get an image of a lazy bum on a hammock at the beach just swinging with the breeze when you think of RESTNG in the LORD? I do!!! LOL but you see I am such a Type A personality that anything that has to do with waiting is really outside my nature.

However after 18 years walking with the Lord I have learned NOT to FIGHT for what I want. I just WAIT and if it is supposed to be MINE it will be.

I am in that place again... waiting to see what will happen.

This morning we received a call, asking what we had decided. There were other people coming into the game. We could lose it. We told the person we couldn't decide right then. We didn't have the power to. We were still waiting.

It's crazy like that to have someone else decide your destiny.

There were a few times when I decided my own destiny and the outcome was soooo bad! It caused such stress - financially, emotionally, spiritually. So, no. I have given that to the Lord, He can decide my destiny. His Word says: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Hey, He knows best. He can take care of me!!!

This morning my DH went so far as to say on the phone "if it's sold from our us, then be it." I have had it sold from under me before. Not once, but twice. But God gave it back to me, both times. I didn't do anything but answer the phone call that restored it back to me. :) Praise the Lord!

Can you imagine being sent to a country you don't know? Having someone else by the house of your dreams?

My husband likes to say "the land of know not." Oh, what an adventure!! I love to walk with my Lord... who knows what is in store for us? God does!!!!

I am waiting Jesus! Waiting in you, resting on you, trusting you, knowing you got me covered. and all things work together for good. :)

Who are you trusting on today? Blessings,

Tereza

PS If you would like to see my latest video with some of the cards I sent to OperationWRiteHome go HERE.

Forever in Heaven

2011-04-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

**** Edited to include Jennifer's website link *****

I received a very special request a few weeks back.

A Mom of 3 lost her fourth baby to a miscarriage and she asked me to create her a mini album to remember him. Oh, what a privilege! In a day and age where life is discarded so easily, a keepsake album to remember a precious little life is a very special request. You can see the photos of little Phillips here.

I am prayerfully and lovingly creating this album. Here is a sneak peek of a few pages. I promise to share more as soon as it is done.

Have a blessed day,

Tereza

Reconnecting with an old lover...

2011-03-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

For the past six months or so I began again doing something that I discovered when I was around 10 years old. I became an avid reader!! yes, my old lover is my love of books. When I was a child I really liked the adventure and mystery books. As a teenager who did not know the Lord Jesus, I got caught into the teen romance novels and vampire fiction books. As an young adult, I loved psychology and human behavior focused books. During a time of intense search for God, I became a bit mystic and I read a lot on New Age books, and the life of the saints. As a newborn Christian I read the Bible and books on the Bible, books on the life of Jesus, on the Christian walk, marriage and the purpose of life.

Recently I have been reading on Christians personal accounts on their life struggles. Gayle's book really touched my heart. I am a firm believer that marriage is a covenant relationship. That basically means that we share the joys and failures of each other. We don't give up on each other but we strife to stay together and uphold each other in the day of victory and the day of shame. I strongly recommend her book because her life lessons go beyond homosexuality, in fact, it has more to do with forgiveness, restoration and faith than anything else.

One of the amazing surprises in the book is how Gayle shares of how God is listening to our daily prayers and in the most unexpected ways He answers them.

I will, in future posts, share other books that have recently impacted my life.

Now, as a Mom of 4 homeschooled children, reading can be a challenge. I love to curl up with a good book and read for hours on end. When the opportunity presents itself and the book is really good, I am known to sit and read and only get up when the book is finished. It's a sad moment for me, indeed, when the last page is finally read!

So you can imagine, homeschooling 4 children, nursing one and running a household, how and when does a Mom read?

Well... here is my confession.... I read while:

1) in the bathroom... sometimes I forget I am still there after 10-15 minutes. Usually the screaming of the children brings me back to reality;
2) in bed while nursing and putting a baby to sleep. I wait until the baby is sleeping and then pull the book from under the pillow and read until she lets go of the breast and I can get up;
3) in the car. When we go on trips, I always carry one or 2 books I am currently reading. My husband drives the van, the children sit back and enjoy an audiobook or music CD and I read! :)
4) at home, when everyone is busy doing something but the house is peaceful and I need a break. I let the laundry slide, we buy carry out for dinner and I read.
5) 2 or more books at once. That's right! I read many books at once. I usually grab what I am yearning for at that moment. Reading more than one book keeps me reading even if that one book is kind of dragging at the moment, or the subject is no longer interesting to me. That way I can always come back to that book if it appeases to me again.

I have found that reading has helped me relax and reconnect with my God. Many at times, the Lord will minister to me while I am reading a book. He will reveal to me the solutions to issues with the children or situations at our home. He will speak to me in the most personal and profound way.

For me to read a book is so very personal. It's an intimate thing to uncover someone's thoughts and perspective of life. I see authors as brave people that put their thoughts in black ink on white pages. My childhood dream is to become a writer. I have a long way to go, but maybe someday. :)

Do you like to read? How do you make time for it in your busy life? What book has recently impacted you?

I have some amazing books I have recently read FOR SALE here.

Be blessed,

Tereza

And the winner is....

2011-03-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

Cheryl!!!

Go check her out and congratulate her!

Last weekend I blog hopped with OperationWriteHome and I offered some BLOG CANDY.>>>>>>>>

After 125 entries, I used random.org to select the winner and # 34 was selected. So Cheryl, please email me with your address and I will send you some vintage goodness.

More coming soon. :)

Be blessed,

Tereza

Thrifty Thursday: storage for my ribbons!!

2011-03-10T10:50:00.000-08:00

**** This is a re-post from my other blog that has been put on hold*****

Check out the BLOG CANDY on the side bar!!!

The other day I was trying to organize my craft room. It used to be my dining room now it is our library/ craft room/ study room.

I needed a place to store my ribbons. I have so many spools and I thought maybe I could hang a rod on the wall and store them there. My DH (he is wonderful) made a big fuss about making holes on the wall and what rod to get and blah blah blah.

I realized it was going to be a big problem and I would have to wait a while before I got my storage solution. So... I just put my brain to work and came up with this.

I used an old bulky piece of Styrofoam I had in my closet where I store my boxes and shipping supplies. I covered it with a piece of fabric and stuck some bamboo kabob sticks in it. Then I organized my spools by type and size. To finish it up I covered it up with another piece of fabric to keep it safe from the dust.

There is a saying in Brazil that says "If you don't have a dog to hunt with, you hunt with a cat." Can you translate that into an English saying??

Now, it may not look the best but it solved my storage problem. :) Hey, the day my studio looks like something out of a magazine, it will probably BE in a magazine. LOL

~~Next week, I will try to share some photos of my Studio~~. You can see my all finished up and messy "studio" HERE. You might remember my husband made me a new table. You can see the Before pictures here.

How do you store your ribbons??? Thanks for stopping by,
Tereza

Melissa Frances Blog Candy anyone???

2011-03-09T21:15:00.000-08:00

I have a new Page entitled BLOG CANDY and it is on the top right of my blog.......>>>>>>>>>>>>

Blog Candy winner will be announced on March 12th...so go check out the page and see what you need to do to win some awesome vintage sweetness. :)

Be blessed,

Tereza

Reading list of February 2011

2011-03-09T14:21:00.000-08:00

Because we read so much and we have many children I decided to keep a list of the books we read monthly. This way I can have a reference list for future use.

Below are most of the books we read during the month of February 2011. This list contains the books we checked out in our library. Reading level varies and some were Read Alouds but most of them DD8 read by herself. She is the only one already reading. Wyzard or I read to the children.

There are many different themes covered here. Some books were used to cover Science, History, Biographies, Geography and more.

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman, Caroline Binch
It's Valentine's Day by Jack Prelutsky
Noodle by Munro Leaf
Mouse's first valentine

I'm Going to Grandma's

The End by David LaRochelle, Richard Egielski
Love You When You Whine

Penny Loves Pink
Are You Quite Polite?: Silly Dilly Manners Songs

Bread and Jam for Frances Big Book [BREAD & JAM FOR FRANCES BIG BK]

Bright Eyes and the Buffalo Hunt (Books for Students By Students)
You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Fairy Tales to Read Together
Inventions by James Robinson
Ponyella
Do I have bendy bones? (Ask me why)

Madeline at the White House
Music in Me
Simms Taback's Great Big Book of Spacey, Snakey, Buggy Riddles
The Friday Nights of Nana
Half A World Away
Police Officers on Patrol

And that was everything we read, besides Bible stories and many books we already owned.

Would you like to share your favorite books? Or the books you use to homeschool your children?

I am already compiling the Reading List for March and there are some really fun books in it, so be sure to check back next month.

Blessings,

Tereza

Operation Write Home Blog Hop

2011-03-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

Today I am blog hopping with the awesome card makers that send their handmade cards to Operation Write Home. If you haven't come from the blog hop you might want to start HERE.

I have lots to share so make sure you go all the way to the end of this post. BLOG CANDY is at the end of the post.

I want to share with you a bit how I create my cards. Yesterday, it went like this....

I was reading the Country Living magazine of this month and saw the photo of a hallway with a staircase and a dresser that had flowers for knobs. (picture on the right) The wall color was a beautiful guava rose and there were white flowers and black and white and stripes... I had to put the magazine down and run to my craft table and make a card. The inspiration juice was dripping off me as I found the guava cardstock and cut it into 3 cards and then found my white flowers. Then I quickly searched for something to make the yellow centers... Ah-ha!! 3D yellow paint. The scraps of striped black and white papers were easy to use - they were just laying around on my messy table. So here is the result of such great inspiration...

Have we inspired you enough to make a few cards and send them on to our Heroes?? I hope so. :) The next deadlines are:
March 18th for Easter cards
March 31st for Mother's Day cards

If you need some more encouragement be sure to check out my videos and some tutorials on my YOuTube channel. :) Also check out OperationWRiteHome Ustream videos...they are so much fun and you get to meet Sandy the lady who began all this!!!!

Make sure you hop over to Misty to see what Springy creation she has come up with. :)

And above the BLOG CANDY... Every comment will be entered to win, if you follow me you get an EXTRA chance to win, and if you sign up for my newsletter you get ANOTHER chance... so there is up to 3 chances to win this awesome vintage kit... Melissa Frances papers, handmade embellishments, Prima roses, a Sarah Kay stamp, ribbons, laces, wrinkled baby pink seam binding, manila tags, raw chipboards, doiliesand even some Papertreyink cardstock for you to get started making cards. The winner will be announced on March 12. So you have a whole week to come back here and enter for more than one chance to win.

I have used these gorgeous papers to create my last vintage chipboard album. Go check it out!!!

Have fun this weekend blog hopping and be blessed,
Tereza

Hot pink and classic black and white Bridal cards

2011-03-02T11:21:00.000-08:00

This beautiful custom order is going

all the way to Australia.

These to your right are personalized

cards going to the Mother of the Bride and her to be in-laws.

What a sweet thoughtful way to express a bride's feelings!

The Bride is also giving cards to her Bridesmaids expressing her thankfulness for their help and support during her wedding preparations.

The Bride requested the cards be made slightly different so each one is unique.

The inside of the cards can be blank or contain a personalized and customized poem or message.

Blessings,

Tereza

It's one of those....

2011-02-25T12:22:00.000-08:00

crazy weeks. I woke up sick on Monday morning and had to cancel our field trip to celebrate and learn more about President's Day. Then on Wednesday my DD1 woke up with hives all over her body. Took her to the doctor but as usual their diagnosis is mostly "ear infection". I wonder if that is all they learn in medical school?

I really like this book How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor. It has helped me a lot to sort through doctors' appointments.

Anyway, it's been 3 days. We are monitoring her and she is doing great: playing, eating and moving about like there is nothing wrong. And really there isn't...it's just that her body is in a war zone right now and having a major allergic reaction so we need to monitor her so that it doesn't escalate into anyphylaxis. So the rashes come and go everywhere and in different places on her body every time.

Sometimes these hives can be caused by a virus, or inflammation or an allergy to something. I think what caused this one is her teething. Anyway... these hives last 3 to 5 days to complete disappear.

This morning she woke up with a very swollen lower lip so we began Prednisone to avoid anyphylaxis. She is fine now, but we have to finish the medication even when there is no more swelling or rashes.

so it's been a crazy week... I am still not over my cold, unschooling has really taking off at my house (pun intended) and I have a custom order midway. I managed to upload some sale items on my SALE PAGE and if you are interested head that way.

I am hoping to be back to normal next week.. y'all have a great weekend and thank you Jesus for healing us! :)

Blessings,
tereza

PS God is still good and I am glad I went to the doctor because we filled the prescription she gave us and when we needed it (this morning) we had it. I wonder how people did back in the time when there was no medications for allergic reactions???? If you know, let me know. :)

Just one more...

2011-02-17T15:22:00.000-08:00

One more bridesmaid card

in the

navy and hot pink

color scheme.....

Personalized text

goes on

the inside of the card....

Will you be my Bridesmaid?

For custom orders, just email me!!

Blessings,

Tereza

I have an announcement to make...

2011-02-14T14:47:00.000-08:00

I have great news to share... last Thursday I was in Atlanta for a quick trip and something special happened there... I promise to tell you all about it later this week...

In the mean time, I finished those 2 mini chipboard I told you about HERE. To your right there is the first sneak peek. The other one is listed in my Etsy shop.

I used Webster's Pages, Melissa Frances and Prima stamps on them.

Here is the one listed on Etsy. This one measures 6x6" and all the pages are chipboard that I cut myself.

The album is loaded with Melissa Frances goodness and even some handmade embellishments done by moi. :)

Here is another peek at the album above.

I am currently working on a boy version of the cardboard album I share HERE. It's turning out so fun!!

Got to go... it has been a busy last week and this one is turning out busy too. :)

oh, yeah! happy Valentines Day! :)

Blessings,
Tereza

Thrifty Thursday: customizing your letters!

2011-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Thrifty Thursday was born to boost my creativity using what I had in hand. Like most crafters I have way too many supplies that I don't really put to good use. So instead of purchasing a new tool or an embellishment I am using what I have at home. So share your insights.... here is my tip for this week.

Last week I created a layout for my DD3 on a whim. As I was laying out the papers, flowers and photos I realized that the chipboard letters I had were not going to work. So I customized them.

I used white chipboard letters and with a black pen I doodled on them. Then I used the markers I had on hand, nothing fancy or expensive like Copics (hey, if you got them, use them!) and colored my doodles.

Then to make it look funkier and thrown together, I used an old book as the background for more letters. I used a permanent markers and drew my own letters, cut then out and adhered to the layout.

I don't usually make resolutions in the beginning of the year, but in an informal way, I have decided not purchase any more papers or embellishments until I cut my supplies in half. I have found that this decision has forced me to become more creative and I have found new uses for old supplies.

How do you use your old supplies? Do you have a favorite supply that you haven't used in a while? Did you like this week's tip? For more check out all Thrifty Thursday's posts here.

Be blessed,

Tereza

Changes in my blog

2011-02-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed the changes in my blog?

To your right, at the top of my blog I have added some pages... if you click on the words on the tabs... each one contains videos and slides of my work... There is also a page FOR SALE where I will be selling arts and crafts items, books and even my Brand New Cintiq. I will post the price and if you are interested send me an email and I will send you the invoice.

I will also have a BLOG CANDY page.

So take a few minutes to check out the changes in my blog and if you have any tips, write me a comment. :)

Thank you,
tereza

Mini Altered Cardboard Album

2011-02-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

Remember I told you I was inspired by a mini album I saw at TwopeasinaBucket website?

The album was made by Samantha Hauzer. Her website link is found above, and here is Purple Pumpkin where she sells funky and colorful embellishments.

To your left you can see a few photos of the album I made. If you would like to see the whole album and more details please check out my VIDEO HERE.

This album was so much fun to make and quick too.

If you are interested in a custom order you can always email me. This one was sold last night to a friend in church.

I also just finished 2 more vintage chipboard albums that I will be posting soon and I have a fun Thrifty Thursday scheduled for this Thursday. So follow me or subscribe to find out when I post again. :)

have a blessed week, :)

tereza

Reading list of January 2011

2011-02-04T08:01:00.000-08:00

Because we read so much and we have many children I decided to keep a list of the books we read monthly. This way I can have a reference list for future use.

Below are most of the books we read during the month of January 2011. Reading level varies and some were Read Alouds but most of them DD8 read by herself, and Wyzard or I read to the children.

Messy Bessie: Where's My Homework?
Great Day for Up (Bright & Early Books(R))
Pete's Chicken
It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folk Tale (Michael Di Capua books)

Warm in Winter by Erica Silverman
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy
Olivia Goes to Venice
Titanic - Disaster at Sea by Martin Jenkins and Brian Sanders
Hershey's Milk Chocolate Multiplication Book

Where was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May? by Jean Fritz
And then what happened Paul Revere? by Jean Fritz

The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor
The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body
The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth by Joanna Cole
Adding it Up (Get Set for Kindergarten!)
The Magic School Bus At The Waterworks
Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Imperial China (From the Creator of the Magic School Bus) (Magic School Bus, The)
Where do rivers go? (Ask me why)
The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System

Take a Number - new ideas + imagination = more fun by Jeanne Bendick and Marcia Levin
First Number Book
Explore the World of Mighty Oceans by Susan Wells
Where do you think you're going, Christopher Columbus? by Jean Fritz
Simple Physics Experiments With Everyday Materials

All the books above where checked out at my local library. I have provided the Amazon links to some so you can easily see them, read reviews or see inside them, as well as see how much they cost.

I also have not sorted them into subjects because one of the concepts of Unschooling or life learners is that LIFE is not separated into subjects. At our home, we learn as we live: day by day, one task or experience after the next one.

Enjoy! Would you like to share which books you read this past month with your children?

Be blessed,
Tereza

My children are riding the School Bus...

2011-02-01T11:19:00.000-08:00

without going to school!!! yeah... :)

Have you heard of the Magic School Bus? It was a show that ran many years ago. They are currently replaying some of the episodes on Saturday on TV. (don't ask me about in which channel 'cause I don't know.) There are also the books and the videos are available in VHS and DVD.

I don't know where I heard of the Magic School Bus but I found THIS LINK where you can watch their videos for FREE. I also found many of their books in my library. My children, raging from 8 y.o. to 3 y.o. love to watch the shows on the internet and read the books. My DH, the Wyzard, connects the computer to our TV and screens the shows for them anytime they want.

They are learning about the Human Body, the Senses, how volcanoes work, the Earth, how our water is treated, water cycle, food chain, insects, molecules, computers, physics laws and so much more. You can find some games, coloring pages and pop quizzes on the Magic School Bus right on this LINK from Scholastic.

I am so glad I found the Magic School Bus. The shows are clean, exciting and hold the children's attention as they learn about science. So cool! Thank you Joanna Cole for coming up with this amazing concept. :)

Although, most of her views are from an evolution side, the books and the videos give us an opportunity to discuss the difference between creationism and evolution. My children are taught both and they pretty much think that evolution is fantasy or made up stuff. Anyway...

How about you? What kind of FREE and wholesome content have you found on the internet to help with your children's education?

PS... I will be posting a list of Books that we read each month. The idea is to share with you what we use to complement our homeschooling and I hope you share your book list too and link to your blog... how about we do that every first Friday of the month? You can share a list of the books you read with or to your children during the month before. I would love to see you this coming Friday. :)

Blessings,
Tereza

New Creations on the way.

2011-01-29T11:49:00.000-08:00

In 2009, I shared how my husband made me a craft table and we re-organized my studio, which used to be our dinning room.

Well, this is what it looks like when I am working on 4 projects at the same time. I can see you cringing. :)

I know what you are thinking "How the heck does she find the projects she is working on?"

Let me tell you, it's a battle, but that is the only space I have to work with and I like to spread out. So, at times, I have to lift stuff out of the way to find the stamps or chipboards I am working with.

But I can't complain... I got to be thankful for what I got now, praying and waiting for my big studio with lots of windows and natural light, a central island and lots of working space around the room.

Anyway, the other day I was browsing Two Peas in a Bucket website and found this project. I thought it was the cutest and smartest thing ever, so I decided to make me one. I had just placed an order with Two peas and when I got my box, guess what?

There was a cardboard sheet in there, so I cut it into pieces and began working on it. Here is a close up of the album in process.

If you would like to know the artist behind this awesome album check her blog HERE.

Here is the new Martha Stewart Swirling Lace Punch Set I bought and some of my digital vintage images that I use on my cards.

Besides the cardboard album, I am working on 3 vintage baby chipboard albums. So this post is just to let you know that I am still scrapping. You might have stopped by recently and read about homeschooling, reading and putting children to bed and thought what happened to all the vintage projects. Well, we are still working on those too besides changing diapers, putting babies to bed and cooking dinner. Yeah, I am a full time scrappin' Mom!!!

Ah, if you are considering making a Scrapbook Wedding Album on a Budget do check out this post! I will, also, soon post on the foods I ate to help me lose 20 pounds. Follow me or subscribe to my blog to be notified of when I post. :)

Have a blessed weekend and thanks for stopping by!!! :)

Tereza

How to get your children to bed.

2011-01-25T20:59:00.000-08:00

A few months back we were having a hard time getting our DD7 to fall asleep at the same bedtime as her younger siblings. So we arrived at a compromise and purchased a small lamp for her bed and she can now stay up and read for an hour before falling asleep.

Then we hit another bump on this road, when she got bored with the books we had available at home. Although we borrow about 30 books every 2 weeks from the library, from time to time, my DD7 can find that she has read everything.

The solution was to let her borrow my Kindle. My husband purchased it for me last September and I used it for a few days until we found out that we could upload free books that DD7 was reading. She was reading The Secret Garden, the Velveteen Rabbit, Aesop's Fables and more. All those and many more can be uploaded for free or $0.99 on the Kindle. Then she carries the little flat device to her bed and reads to her heart content.

I can tell you that the Kindle is no longer mine. I have gone back to purchasing real books since the Kindle sleeps on my DD7 bed next to her other stuffed animals and favorite toys and magazines.

My personal opinion: The Kindle is very easy to operate, any child that can use a cell phone, laptop or computer game can use the Kindle. There are safety features where you can turn the wireless connection off and they cannot download anything to the Kindle. There is also the feature to open folders and file the books accordingly. Our DD7 has her own folder which she knows all books there are safe for her to read. All other folders are off limits. Although the Kindle displays only in black and white, the illustrations are still gorgeous and very entertaining to a child.

If you have someone that loves to read, or is learning to read (the Kindle has a feature that will read the book to you in a male or female voice) the Kindle is the perfect gift to jump start or encourage your beginner or avid reader. It also has a dictionary and many other features like changing the size of the font, displaying the book vertically or horizontally, bookmarking, highlighting and more. Just figuring out all the features it has can be very entertaining if you are a computer Wyzard like my DH.

I hope it helps get your child to bed... it has helped mine. :)

Tereza

The Thrifty Scrapper: How to make a Scrapbook Wedding Album

2011-01-23T22:16:00.000-08:00

A while back I shared about the Scrapbook Wedding Album that I made on a budget. We used a Martha Stewart Wedding kit that my sister in law had previously purchased at Walmart. I think she paid less than $20.00 for it. It was on sale. On that previous post, on the link above, I shared some of the pages with the bride's wedding photos on them.

As promised, below you can see the video where I share all 20 pages before they were delivered to the bride. In the video, I share what I used and how we cut corners and used what we had on hand. Please excuse my fidgeting with the camera, blinds and pages, as well as the children's noise in the background. I have a busy household. :)

I hope to inspire you to think outside the box and that even if you don't have the money, you can still make beautiful creations and memorable keepsakes! Enjoy!

How have you creatively used your own resources lately?

Have a blessed week, :)

Tereza

oh, the little things....

2011-01-13T14:13:00.000-08:00

I am expecting guests this evening. They will stay until next Monday... they have come from 5,000 miles away and I haven't seen them in 5 years. It's a good thing they are coming.

So I have been cleaning. You know those things that you don't clean everyday? yes, those....

I have 3 children between 8 and 3 years old and they help out in the kitchen a lot. My 3 y.o. loves to cook and watch and help out. She says, "Momma, I help you?" I want to say "No. Let me do it by myself. It's faster and cleaner." but how can I?? So she helps and most of the time I try to enjoy it instead of worrying about the mess.

As I was cleaning the kitchen cabinets and drawers' hardware, I saw some tiny fingerprints everywhere. The places that used to be touched by me only... now have children sticky fingerprints all over them. The utensils drawer had juice spill all over it. The drawer that holds the place mats had dirt all over it. I got helpers now that set the table for us. They clean up, they chop up vegetables, they help make salad. They spill pancake batter while Daddy fixes breakfast. They lick spoons and bowls. Places where I usually don't clean because I am too busy teaching, cooking, doing laundry, vacuuming, playing with the children...

Oh, all these little sticky fingerprints... the guests won't see them because I wiped them away, but they will be forever in my memories. :)

Have a great weekend, :)

Tereza

I lost 20 pounds!!!!

2011-01-09T09:28:00.000-08:00

Beginning in October to mid November of last year, my husband and I changed our eating habits. We have lost 20 pounds each!!! I am wearing clothes that I haven't been able to put on in 6 years.

Let me share a bit more of myself so you can see where I started. I have 4 children, they were all born in the last 8 years. I weighed 224 pounds at 5'6" high when I became pregnant with my first baby. I have never been skinny. My lowest weigh was probably 150 pounds when I was 15 years old. But if you look at my photos of when I was a child, or a teenager you wouldn't say I was overweight or obese. Take a look at the photo above. I am the little girl on your left at around 8 years old.

After my first daughter was born I was able to lose pretty much all the weight except for 10 pounds and that's how it went with each pregnancy. My husband is a meat and cookie eater and with 4 kids it's easy to turn that into an everyday habit. I love fruits and vegetables and also anything that is creamy, sweet and fattening, i.e. ice cream, fettuccine Alfredo, cheese, chocolate mousse... you get the idea. :)

Recently, I found this website where I bought my DD7 some cool adventure books about a homeschooling family. The author is a vegetarian and that got me thinking. Then as I read her blog I found this doctor and what he said made a lot of sense.

For about 5 years of my life, during my college years, I was a vegetarian. I remember losing a lot of weight just eating a lot of high fiber, complex carbohydrates like beans, whole wheat cookies, brown rice, vegetables and fruit and keeping it off. I remember having lots of energy and no health problems.

Then I read Wendy's book, and I made a re-evaluation of myself and my life. I realized I needed to adapt and make whatever eating habits I take on work for me. I have tried many different diets throughout my life: Weigh Watchers, the Zone diet, the South beach diet, fasting, juice diets, portion control diets, diet pills... From these experiences I learned a few things about myself:

1) I don't like to count calories or do portion control. Right now with 4 children I just don't have the time. Before children, I would become obsessed with the numbers and the journaling. All I could think of all day was what I could eat, how much of it and then the next meal, the next day, how much that would add up to... it was crazy! So no! that did not work for me.

2) I don't like food restriction. I love fruits and vegetables, I don't have a problem including them in my diet. I do have a problem with being without a certain food or dish I like for a long time. I need to take a break of depriving myself.

3) I like meats but not that much that I could go on a protein diet only. I also don't think that is the healthiest lifestyle ever. I love my carbohydrates... the more complex they are the better: brown rice, beans, whole wheat pasta, legumes and more. I really don't care for white bread or even potatoes that much.

4) I breastfeed all my children for at least 2 years and get pregnant that often too, so I need a healthy diet with variety.I also need a diet that would work on the go, with children, at home, at a restaurant ... you get the picture. :)

5) The last diet I went on was just before I became pregnant with my first baby. I was doing Weight Watchers and I lost 10 pounds in 6 weeks. And then for 2 weeks I wouldn't lose anything. I didn't gain any weight either but I was not losing although I was doing the diet obsessively and exercising. That's when I found out I was pregnant.

So with that data, I suggested to my husband that we do an experiment. From Monday to Friday we would eat only fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates but no sugar, or any processed food whatsoever. We would also cut off meat. There would be NO portion control which would mean we could eat as much as we wanted. On Saturday and Sunday we could eat anything we wanted. Everything that had been off our menus could be enjoyed on the weekends. Within 6 weeks we both lost 20 pounds each.

I will share in my next post some of our actual menus. And how my husband and I were able to make it a lifestyle and cook for the whole family. :)

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. This post has informational content only and it describes my personal experience. Please consult your physician when deciding to diet and exercise.

Have you ever gone on a diet before? What results did you have?

Be blessed,

Tereza

Thrifty Thursday: how to function with a fussy baby!

2011-01-06T13:05:00.000-08:00

Baby is teething. We had a fussy night and I never got to the computer to publish my Thrifty Thursday post.

So I am sharing with you a post I did a while back about how to re-purpose your old stamps. If you haven't seen the post yet, then this is your change to and also to subscribe to my blog or follow me to keep up with Thrifty Thursday where I share techniques to re-vamp your art using what you already have at home. No new purchases necessary!!!

If you have already seen the post, I say go check it out again anyway, it might get you out of a rut, if you are stuck for creativity. Or it might remind you of some great stamps you have stocked away that you haven't used in a while. So here it is:

NEW STAMPS USING YOUR OLD STAMPS

ok, back to taking care of baby. :)

Be blessed,

Tereza

Hoping to inspire you...

2011-01-03T18:05:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

here are a few of the cards that I made these past couple of weeks to send to OperationWriteHome. Because of my busy life at home, I haven't been as active listing and selling my cards and scrapbook layouts on Etsy. Although I am still available for custom orders (Email me anytime) I have reduced the amount of time I am spending listing items in my shop. So if you find anything on my blog that you are interested in, just email me, I will be happy to duplicate or re-create something for you.

However it's difficult not to create at all, because I am such a creative spirit and I really need an outlet to express myself. So making these cards for our heroes to use is really refreshing. I cannot resist and play with some of the digital things available on line. These beautiful silhouettes were found HERE. ArtCult is one of my favorites shops to purchase digital collages.

I have also used a new technique for me. I have stamped on pages of old books and then cut out the images. Those stamped frames are from Prima and I just love how they look stamped and cut out. I have a few more sets of Prima stamps that I definitely need to use this technique on, so be sure to subscribe to my blog to see what I have coming up.

I also found Crescendoh Stamps!!! Oh, my!! I love to stitch or sew my cards and layouts, but sometimes it is just not possible. I have a baby sleeping, or my machine is acting up or I don't have enough time or the right thread. So when I found these stamps that look like stitches I just jumped for joy and purchased both of them. Doesn't that look great? Oh, it makes my heart soooo happy!! You can find the stamps I used HERE and HERE.

While browsing the Crescendoh blog I saw this post with these adorable cards and it inspired me to create these darling ones to your left. Aren't they adorable?!

I hope to make some little girls day when she receives these in the mail from her Daddy or Mommy. :)

The little girl is a Sarah Kay stamp that you can find HERE. Besides stamping the image on a page of an old book, I water colored it and cut it out. I also water colored the background and doodled a border around it. Cut out some strips of gorgeous scrapbook scraps and used my Cynthia Shaffer's stamps on them.

This is another batch of cards that I made using digital papers and my first purchased stamps at PaperTrey Ink. You PaperTrey Ink fans out there, can you see the stamps I used?

Now to finish this sharing session, I think these on your left are my favorites.

I used my favorite scraps of my most precious favorite scrapbook collections: K&Co., Daisy D's, Websters' Pages, Basic Grey. Can you spot them? When I fall in love with a collection I have a hard time throwing away the little scraps, so I hold on to them until I can make little quilted cards. I used the Crescendoh and PaperTrey Ink stamps again. I think I will be stamping everything with them. :)

The heart is just some acrylic paint on bubble wrap stamped on pages from an old book. I talked about this technique in my last Thrifty Thursday. My husband thought that these cards were too busy. I loved them, mainly because I had so much fun making them and they are so colorful. What do you think?

Ooh, did I wear you out? I hope you had fun checking out my latest creations and get inspired to donate some of your time to brighten someone else's lives. How do you give back from the abundance you have in your life?

Let me know you stopped by and tell what you think. You don't have to leave a comment if you don't have time, but do tell what you think by checking one of the REACTIONS boxes below. Thanks so much and be blessed, :)

Tereza

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

Last night was awesome. Nothing major... we ate left overs, played with the children, I got to make a bunch of new cards for OperationWriteHome and play with some really cool stamps. I began reading "Uncle Sam's Plantation: How Big Government Enslaves America's Poor and What We Can Do About It, Revised and Updated Edition".

In the midst of all, I heard Jesus say to me "Whatever you need, I am." How cool is that? :)

Are you making New Year's resolutions? I haven't made any in years, actually since I've been married. I don't feel the need to. They never occur to me anymore. Funny, huh?

Now, if you are a resolutions type of person and losing weight is one of them, I will share in another post what has helped me lose 20 pounds.

Have a great year...this will be an awesome one!! Write that down!!! :)

Be blessed,

Tereza

Thrifty Thursday: making it shabby with acrylic paint!

2010-12-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

This is our first Thrifty Thursday. The idea is to share with you a technique that does NOT require new scrapbook supplies or tools, but can be done using what most of us already have at home.

Today I want to share with you how to make something look old, vintage, shabby or distressed looking. A while back I finished a custom order for 2 vintage scrapbook albums for 2 brothers. Here is a sneak peak of the first album. I wanted to achieve a fun, distressed, old look without making the albums feminine at all. So I decided to use paint - white acrylic paint. I found it is the best way to make something look shabby.

Now you don't need any special tools to apply your paint and any acrylic paint will do. But because acrylic paint is rather thick it can be very tricky to use it on rubber or acrylic stamps. They tend to get all sticky and you can't see much of the detail of the stamps, unless it is a big one or a foam stamp but that's another post.

I used two simple tools for my technique. I used water bottle caps and medicine measuring cups to make the white circles on my latest album. I also used my finger to dab the white paint around the edges of my album. I tried using a make up sponge but I liked the result of using my fingers better. I was going for a messy, smeared look.

First squeeze some paint on a paper plate and spread it flat like you would icing on a cake, then use the cap and cup to start stamping. Don't worry about perfect prints, you are going for shabby, not perfect prints. You will have some circles thicker, with missing pieces to the circle, others lighter. the paint dries really quickly too.

The first photo on this post is an example of the result of this technique. You can see the complete result on Carson's album HERE and Camden's album HERE.

You can use other tools with this same technique. Try using bubble wraps, the end of pencils, a sponge, a paper crinkled into a ball or anything else you can think of and already have at home.

On the card below I smeared the edges with white paint.

Here is an example using green paint and bubble wrap.

How do you use acrylic paint? Would love to hear about your results and your discoveries.

I wish you a Happy New Year!!! Until next Thursday, stay thrifty and crafty. :)

Be blessed,

Tereza

Prayer 12-28-2010

2010-12-28T10:15:00.000-08:00

Dear Jesus,

Help me to encourage my children today. Help me to be positive, to point out their strengths and not their flaws. Help me to see them as you do - with all the potential to realize their dreams, to become who you have designed them to be.

Today as I read Elizabeth's post it gave me peace to just be me. It reminded me not to compare myself to others and vice versa. It made me realize that many a times I am so very judgmental and think that I know better than everybody else. I thank you that you are in control, that as you are working in my life, you are working in everyone's lives around me.

I thank you for letting me see that. I want to affirm that you are working in my children lives, you are working in my family's lives. That the good work that you started you will complete!!! And that they will stay the course and will not stray from it.

Thank you Jesus for your Grace. Thank you!!!!! :)

PS I love to see you smile. :)

Amen.

Making it NEW.

2010-12-16T16:01:00.000-08:00

If you just stopped by and my blog is looking strange... then let me tell you that I am finally upgrading and making some changes. I hope to make it look better and more inviting.

IF you are looking for my slides, they are temporarily on the bottom of my blog. So just scroll all the way down to look at some of My Treasured Creations.

In the meantime, bear with me and please send me some suggestions. Like do you prefer a lighter or darker background? Lots of information about me or about my art?

hope you are not so stressed about the holidays. :) Enjoy your loved ones, everything else is not important at all. :)

Be blessed,

Tereza