Speaking of Valentines....

I promised to post links from my friend Traci's shop T and Little S Designs (http://www.etsy.com/shop/tscrapper?ga_search_query=tscrapper&ga_search_type=seller_usernames)

Traci has the most adorable Valentines, for such awesome prices!  They are customized and handmade! ;)

I ordered these for C, and he is stoked! ;) http://www.etsy.com/listing/65406253/custom-set-of-20-monster-valentines

I love these, too for a little girl
http://www.etsy.com/listing/65467957/custom-set-of-20-mod-bird-valentines

Still working on my V-day "finds" post! ;)

Many blessings,

Liz ;)

Valentines, anyone? ;)

A fun and new idea for Valentine's Day! http://www.etsy.com/listing/66292580/10-rosette-valentines-featuring-assorted

I love to give the adorable little girls in C's preschool class hairclips for holidays, so I figured I'd share this idea on my etsy site.  Now to come up with an idea for the boys....besides candy! ;) 

I'll show you the awesome custom valentines I ordered from my friend Traci's site tomorrow....just need something to stick on there for the little guys....hmmmmm...let me know if you think of anything! ;)

Have a wonderful and blessed WEEKEND!!!!!! 

xo,

Liz ;)

Thank You, "Noodles and Milk"! ;)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/noodlesandmilkI found a wonderful new blogger and fellow etsian!  Sabrina creates beautiful sewing patterns (another reason to learn to master a sewing machine), and has an awesome blog and etsy shop.  She posted a gorgeous collection of "Valentine Finds" yesterday, and included one of my headbands.  I am so honored!  Thank you Sabrina!  If you would like to see her blog post, check it out, here!  http://noodlesandmilk.blogspot.com/2011/01/fun-etsy-finds-valentines-day.html

I found some new favorites....hope you will too! 

Sabrina has inspired me to create a similar post!  I love Valentine's Day too, (how can you not "heart" love and chocolate? ;)  I'll post my fun finds, soon!

May God bless you this week!

Liz :)

New Year, New Direction!!!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65485075/perfect-for-valentines-day-rosetteHappy New Year, everyone! ;)

I have a few minutes to actually WRITE this morning, as my amazing parents took my two "winter-wild" children for the night, and they have yet to return them! ;)  I have not left the couch, am still in my pj's, and have caught up on a ton of computer work.....what a perfect Saturday morning!  (But, I do miss those two cute little faces, and will be glad for their bounding return)! :)

I wanted to first say "thank you" to all of my wonderful friends and family who have supported my Brookie Cookie's endeavour thus far!  It's been an entire year now, and I cannot believe how much I have learned...one step forward, two steps back, but so worthwhile all of the way!

I have believed from the beginning that the Lord is leading me down this path and on this adventure, and sometimes, there have been great frustrations...out of which wonderful ideas are born, and new doors are opened!  The one MAJOR thing I have learned is to pray about each and every direction I take, and make sure that the Lord is in control of my business.  Whenever I step away from this, and try to do it my own way.....well, two steps back (at least)! ;)

That being said, after I took a couple of those proverbial steps backwards in December, I got frustrated.  Really, frustrated.  I was finding a lack of direction, and and no sense of continuity.  I felt as if my etsy shop was filled with a cluster of different things, without a focus.  But, I definitely wanted (and NEEDED) a focus.  After an awesome conversation with my wise Mama, I decided to sit down, take a step back, and pray about what the Lord wanted me to do.  I was amazed (as always) to find that my mind was so much clearer, and a new direction that made sense plain as day made so much sense!  Funny, how when we stop and pray about things, rather than getting frustrated and trying to do it all ourselves, things have a way of working out to according to His purposes.

I prayed that evening, and within 24 hours, two of my huge prayers were answered!!!  One of which was a new plan for my etsy shop!  I have decided to really streamline things.  What I LOVE to create are rosette headbands, clips, and necklaces.  So, for the time being, I am focusing on these.  I have just started, and my shop is still in the "make-over" process!  But I am having so much fun, and feel like my ADD form of creativity has a real FOCUS! 

I'm posting some photos of the new items that I've made (using AMY BUTLER'S new "Soul Blossom" collection, which I absolutely adore...it's scrumptious, really! :)  Thank you so much for looking, and for your support!  I do not intend for this blog to be shameless promotion of my etsy site.  So I apologize if it seems that way with this post.  I am just so thankful for the power of prayer, and that I serve an awesome God who loves and cares about every aspect of my life, and yours, too! ;)

Winter Wonderland

I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm having major issues with blogger....I am able to post right now, so I'm taking advantage! ;) 

We are in the middle of a winter snow day...probably will get around 5 inches total by tomorrow morning...  Wooohooo!  So magical and Christmasy!  Is it sad that I'm praying for a snow day? I'm scheduled to be the helper in C's preschool class tomorrow, which normally I love, but I think I'd rather stay in and be cozy being that that the wind chills will be around 0 degrees...ugh!

I have much more to say, and I'm hoping that blogger will be good to me. Still can't access my family blog which makes me VERY sad, considering I chose to blog rather than write in a baby book for the kiddos over the past few years. :(

Finally, our Christmas card, from our family to yours (if you're looking for cards, my friend does an amazing job designing cards http://www.lifeprints.etsy.com/)

May the Lord bless you and keep you this holiday season, my friends!  Hopefully I'll be able to post more later! ;)
xoxo,

liz

FRONT PAGE!!!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57365932/thanksgiving-silk-rosettes-on-a-cream

I am sooo excited!  I finally made it to the front page of etsy...granted, it was in the middle of the night, but I'm so giddy! ;)

You can view "glistenbyerin's" beautiful Thanksgiving Treasury, here.


Thanking the Lord for all of His blessings!

Strength will Come in the Morning....

After I put the kids to bed last night I came downstairs ashamed and upset.  It had been a long day, and C had really tested my patience at a birthday party I took him to.  He didn't want to be there, so he was grouchy and pouty.  Me, being one that can "put on a happy" face at any point, and wouldn't dream of being grumpy in front of others--especially at a birthday party--found myself a little disgruntled with him (okay, maybe I need help! ;).  I often find myself not quite knowing how to handle this five year old little man.  He has many, many anxieties, and we deal with him living in fear quite a bit.  He doesn't do too well in new situations, and I feel as if I've been coaxing him along for the past month, as we started another year of pre-school, activites, Sunday School, the childcare center where I work out, etc., etc. 

So, after bringing him home from the birthday party yesterday, and then dealing with an evening of wild children who weren't listening so well, I had about had it.  Daddy went to take a shower and I gave the kiddos a bath.  Somehow, this always seems to turn into the craziest part of the day.  Instead of calming them down and relaxing them, bathtime often turns into a crazy splash fest and winds them up quite nicely...ugh!  So, by the time I got them out, and they were listening about as well as earthworms underground...I was D.O.N.E....l.and I acted as such. I might have yelled, and I might have shown my frustrations in a not so calm and understanding way.  And then, I felt bad...really bad.  My darling husband reasurringly told me that I'm a great mother and that the kids had just really pushed boundaries today....which was helpful, but I still know that I had done wrong by my children, and was very disappointed in myself.

It was so wonderful to read Britton's blog, last night, http://brittonsappletree.blogspot.com/.  She always speaks with such wisdom and love.  I realized that I often don't stop to do what I should be doing all day long. Praying about each and every hurdle that I come across, and ask Jesus to help me handle each situation.  Thank you, Britton...I sooo needed your blog last night! ;)  I needed to be humbled, and realize again that it's not all about me.  Yes, I might be frustrated, yes I might feel like my kids have gotten the best of me, but that still doesn't excuse me from being the mother that the Lord has called me to be.  We all make mistakes, of course, but the important thing is to ask for forgiveness, and begin a new day!

When I awoke around 5am this moring to a sweet five year old kiss, with a big old, arms around your neck hug (did I mention we're also dealing with C not wanting to stay in his own bed because of bad dreams), and an "I love you, Mommy....let's go back to sleep now"...it was such a moment of reassurance.  We all woke up a couple of hours later and I told the kids that mommy was sorry for yelling and getting frustrated last night, and asked for forgiveness (while also making sure to get in a short diddy about the importance of listening to mommy and daddy..the first time).  I also vowed to begin my day with devotions and prayer.  I have been failing to do this lately, and it shows!

I opened my "One Year Mini Bible for Moms" to September 20th...only to find this devotion:

New Attitudes

Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better.  Yes, you must be a new and different person, holy and good.  Clothe yourself with this new nature.  Ephesians 4:23-24

May God....help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus.  Romans 15:5

Devotion:
Throughout the Bible are references to taking off one garment and putting on a new, clean one.  God has given us a new wardrobe, but it's possible for a believer--a new person in Christ--to revert to wearing the dirty clothing of the old person.  On days when I am impatient or I yell at my children, new garments sound wonderful!  I'm thankful for that, as we spend time in God's Word and ask him for His help, we can see growth in our attitudes and thoughts.


Wow!  Now if that isn't the Lord answering my prayers and speaking directly to me, I don't know what is! ;)  I'm so thankful for forgiveness, redemption, and strength and joy in the morning.

Many blessings today!