Change is in the Air

I’ve decided to switch it up and head on over to WordPress. Blogspot, you’ve served me well- but your cluttered interface and tools are just starting to bog me down.

http://www.finickydesigner.wordpress.com

I’m seeing this as a fresh start- a way of motivating me to write more and more often. I’ve come up with a few theme days, so subscribe to my blog and follow my *hopefully* now more consistent ramblings. (Pst- you don't need a google account to follow me, just an email address. Awesome, right?) I’ll revisit blog posts from this blog from time to time and get the favorites onto the new blog eventually. And, with a big deep reluctant sigh, I’m going to start tweeting. I’ll be posting my instagram photos, blog posts, and Etsy shop updates on Twitter- so if you’re a part of the tweeting community, follow me! @creativemelody

Look forward to seeing you over at the new place! http://www.finickydesigner.wordpress.com

It's May?

No really... We're already half way through the busy month of May? I cant begin to describe all that's occurred in the last month. So many good things, so many surprising things and changes that God has had come our way; it's hard for me to even grasp trying to think about all that's happened sitting here right now.

I would like to highlight for you my latest artwork and the direction I'm taking with my new Etsy shop (hopefully opening July of this year). One of my co-workers, Peter, asked me if I had anything I'd like to make and sell at an auction for his program that helps support children in Swaziland, Kids Helping Kids. Boy, did that challenge me! When was the last time I'd created something (not for freelance) that I put my heart into, enjoyed, and would actually consider as sell-able? I knew how much I enjoyed painting the Winnie the Pooh artwork for my nephew's nursery and challenged myself to come up with another series of three pieces of artwork, this time kept just digital and not painted in watercolor. I was pretty satisfied with how it turned out, and though it only sold for $40, was pleased with all of the wonderful comments I received on it and got several people excited for my new Etsy shop, Finicky Prints and Paintings, to open soon.

Let's go on an ADVENTURE

  

I'll be making this series of prints available on my Etsy shop soon, so if you like it- bookmark it and keep an eye out for my opening date. It's also so gratifying for me to be able to donate some of the profit I make on my shop to Mission of Mercy and their programs that greatly need support.

Have a happy May!

My homemade laundry detergent

I did it! I finally did it. I ran out of laundry detergent, and instead of racing to Costco to buy a super huge container of detergent, I ran to King Soopers and searched for products I'd never heard of.


Total cost of supplies: $13


And those supplies can get me at least another 10 batches of this stuff. Only ingredient I'd have to purchase more of is the Fels-Naptha soap. But when 2 gallons only requires half a bar, and a bar runs at about $2, I'd say it's worth it.


I used the recipe I posted on an earlier blog: Frugal and Fantastic Laundry Detergent so I'll just walk through my experience and post some tips on this post.

Fels-Naptha Soap- only use half a bar per batch.

I decided to chop up my soap instead of grating it. I loath grating. And this stuff easily flakes apart.

Here's the tip- this stuff does NOT like to dissolve. So soak it in your pot of water for one hour before turning on the burner and boiling it to dissolve all of the way.

Boil it, dissolve it. This is what made my house smell like it had just gotten a bath.

Rest of the ingredients to be added.

Only one cup of each.

Another tip: Buy a gallon jug of water. The recipe gives directions according to gallons of water, and I wouldn't have been able to know the correct amount unless I had purchased a gallon size jug, especially since it'll tell you to add ____ cups of water, then next instruct you to add "the rest." Annoying if you aren't using a gallon size jug.

I dumped it in a new trash can that I had just put in our guest bathroom. Only thing I had big enough to hold it all. Covered it with wax paper, and woke up the next morning gel like detergent. My husband described the texture of it as "brains." Not sure if that at all gives you a good idea...

I store mine in an old laundry detergent jug and the water jug I was using to measure the water. 1/2 cup per load!

Of course the real question is- does it WORK? (Yes, I took a photo of me smelling my towels)... it does work, and very well. Only issues I have with it is that it doesn't seem to bubble in the washing machine, so I always want to add more. This is just something my simple mind needs to get over. That, and my clothes don't smell really clean. Now, they don't smell dirty! They just also don't smell like detergent, which is difficult to get used to. I might add some essential oils next time just to make me feel better.

Well, there you have it! It was fun- and you should most definitely give it a try. Let me know how your experience goes.

Easter is just a lie about a happy ending for a self proclaimed Messiah

I'd like for you take a moment to read from this man what the "True Meaning of Easter" is:

The real victory, marked by Easter's pageantry, is a rewriting of history.  In the Jesus Story, something divine is born into the human family.  Rising up from lowly circumstances, he tours the country, mesmerizing crowds and comforting the afflicted.  Those who knew him and loved him are crushed when his ministry is ended with an arrest, beatings, a trial, a conviction and immediate execution.  That story is an indictment of life.  How could such a thing happen?  How could somebody this kind, this gentle, this understanding and this talented get snuffed like this? 

The answer provided is an interesting twist.  Rather than allow the story to end on a down note (Romans Kill Jesus), the Gospels have Jesus rise from the dead.  It doesn't change history... the story of Jesus would be the story of yet another self-proclaimed messiah who ended up as bait.

It's almost American in its obsession to give a happy ending to an otherwise dreary story...Easter is the willful adoption of the lie.  No more obvious example can be found of theists in denial...There is no ontological difference, the risen Christ and the Easter Bunny, except that one is for adults while the other is for children.

http://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/43861/14231817/?pg=last

I sat in the Kia dealership today, waiting for the oil to be changed in my car, for over 2 and half hours. While I got a lot read of my book, I wasn't a very happy person. About an hour into my wait time, I overheard the mechanic at the counter talking to his fellow coworker:

I just' bout blew it with my wife! I almost said to her- Hey, I'm going golfing on Sunday! Then realized, d----, it's Easter! She's gunna make me stay round and do all that family sh-- with the kids!

That's when I slapped myself- Ah, today is Good Friday! I sat there, in that uncomfortable faux leather chair, thinking about Christ. I walked through all of it in my mind- Oh, how many times have I heard it? But somehow, it never gets old. Especially today. Then I realized... to that man, behind the counter, Easter is just a crazy day full of candy, unruly kids fighting over plastic Easter eggs, and his wife making him stay around the house. Today? He's thinking about work, lunch, and unsatisfied customers. And Jesus, who took the mechanic's place on a brutal cross (just as much as He'd taken my place), won't even cross his mind. If it does, it won't be a thought worth pondering over; if anything, it'll be a thought dealt with rejection. 

It's hard for me to fathom a God, perfect and holy in every way, would consider sending his only, and just as perfect and holy son to endure the punishment I, a sinful by nature errant creation, deserve. I sink in my chair, feeling pretty unworthy, but also completely grateful for this precious, precious gift. How can I not commit my life to Him? Who am I to even consider for a moment not accepting what He's offered to me?

Then I consider all of those who don't accept the gift, who choose for there to be no difference between the Easter bunny and Jesus. Today is just another friday, an insignificant friday not worth remembering anything over. Then Sunday will approach and the secular activities will commence. Sure, some will drag themselves to church, because something in them tells them they're suppose to, there may be a few reference to "Jesus" tossed around the dinner table in a quick prayer over the food... but how many truly observe Christ, what he did so that we might live, and then through a miracle rose from the grave? I don't believe many consciously will, and I can't help but blame myself. What am I actively doing every day to share with others what's available to them? Maybe that mechanic behind the counter doesn't know what today represents because no one has made any effort to share it with him.

This weekend is our chance to give a little good news to everyone we come across. A "Happy Easter" is just an outstanding invitation for an explanation to your joy. Shouting out "He is Risen!" or quoting a Bible verse may not be the best way to share Jesus with someone. Maybe the answer for someone lies in the testimony of your life, your personal relationship, your astonishment of what the God of the universe has done for you.

It hits me the hardest when I actually imagine myself hanging on a cross. I've tried to think of something more "modern"... but nothing comes close to the cross. There were things Jesus had to endure by being hung on a cross that no one with the death penalty has to endure today. And see, that's what I deserve. And if Jesus didn't take my place, that's what would have happened to me... I have to be punished for my rebelliousness, my sin.

I'm thankful for that gift, I'm thankful I'm forgiven, and I'm thankful there's more to my Easter than colorful eggs (and those statically charged strips of plastic basket filling that annoyingly stick to you)...

I hope you all have a blessed Easter full of times remembering our Lord and colorful finger tips due to dying eggs! (My husband and I are going to dye eggs tomorrow night...)

Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats

I love to spoil my dog. And she knows it. I tackle something new to bake just about every weekend, and this weekend I decided to turn my attention to my dog, Dasha. These treats are super simple to make, and I didn't have to buy a thing- just used staple items around the house. I love building the hype for the treats- getting her excited about what's on the counter and feeding her bits of "cookie" dough. The best part about it? I know exactly what's going into her *often sensitive* tummy. 


Originally found this recipe in a local pet directory which I modified a bit (mostly because I live at 7,000 feet).

Ingredients:
4 tbsp blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup natural unsalted peanut butter (though I improvised with regular pb- it's fine for dogs)
1-1/4 cup water
1 tbsp oil (this is less than the original recipe called for- I didn't see it as necessary)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/2 cups rolled oats


- Preheat over to 350.
- In a large bowl, blend together molasses, peanut butter, water, and oil.
- Add whole wheat flour and oats to wet ingredients. Mix well.
- Drop tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet (these cookies do not expand, so put as many on one sheet as you'd like!). Gently flatten cookies with a cup bottom.
- Bake 20 minutes or until done. 

I store the treats in a tupperware container, and anytime Dasha's being a good girl, I ask- "Want a cookie?" She now knows the word "cookie" quite well.


Did you try one? you may ask. As tempting as it was, I have not. It's the just idea of it being for the dog...

My Coffee Table: Before and After

My husband, John, and I love to restore furniture. We're just getting into it, and while it's not at all easy- it's incredibly rewarding. And we love the process! We'd much rather be out in the garage, sanding and painting furniture than we would be inside watching tv. It's something we enjoy doing together, and we're just getting started!

We haven't had a coffee table since we've gotten married. We were borrowing my parents' glass coffee table (which was great! Thanks mom and dad!), and were quite thankful to haul it away and replace it with something more our style.

I found this on craigslist, and ending up buying it and a matching end table for $35. This is the best "Before" shot I have.

For those of you who are not aware, stripping paint SUCKS.

Stripped and sanded.

Primed (you should, by the way, always do your own research. Don't listen to the Home Depot lady...)

Adding  tile grout to black paint for my chalkboard top.

Always test it...

Painted the top (chalkboard part) first, then the rest a simple flat black.

Remember that corner that our dog chewed off? John did a pretty good job remolding it into a decent looking corner.

Ta da! Black paint, black chalkboard paint, and some new hardware.

All in all I'm pretty pleased. Lessons learned: Spray on your paint, don't use acrylic primer, and chalkboard paint is quite finicky to work with, so add some water to thin it down.

Letter from Swaziland

We received our first letter from Lenhle a few weeks ago, and I thought I would share. Since she’s only 4, her teacher wrote it for her, and in English no less. I found the drawing absolutely adorable, especially the interesting head of the person. It looks as though the teacher wasn’t satisfied with the head that Lenhle drew, so she added it for her! Gave us a good laugh.

Dear John and Melody, Hello. My name is Lindiwe. I’m Lenhle’s Bible club teacher. I’m going to write her this letter because she is not able to write. Her name is Lenhle. She is a girl. She is 4 years old. She lives at Mpolonjeni with her grandmother. She is not at school. She likes playing homes. She likes eating bread with eggs, friend chicken, and rice. She said when she grows up she would like to be a police. Lenhle said have a Merry Christmas. Matthew 1:23. Goodbye, love your child, Lenhle.

I decided to google earth her location… and it looks like Mpolonjeni is a small village which can’t be directly searched for. But the nearest city is Mbabane, Swaziland, which is very close to the village. There’s some articles on Google that even refer to Mpolonjeni and Mbabane as the same region as Mbabane expands its borders. http://www.times.co.sz/News/65316.html. 

The third photo is from a village just south of Mbabane which could portray a village just like Lenhle’s, although there are some articles that state that Mpolojeni housing is a lot of mud and brick.

Swaziland

City of Mbabane

Village outside of Mbabane

The Mpolonjeni Child Development Center is located in Mpolonjeni, a small community west of Mbabane, Swaziland's capital. If they are not subsistence farmers or raising cattle, some adults attempt to find work as day laborers in the city but incomes are sporadic. This area provides special challenges: the rolling hills of Mpolonjeni and higher elevation makes for cooler nights and a frost risk in winter. The children of Mpolonjeni face difficult circumstances on a daily basis, rarely having enough to eat or access to basic health care to treat the chronic skin conditions, intestinal problems, and tuberculosis. HIV/AIDS continues to ravage Swaziland, leaving many children in the care of older siblings or relatives.
The Mpolonjeni Child Development Center provides love and security to children who desperately need stability in their lives. The center provides nutritious meals to combat malnutrition while hygiene training and medical screenings are slowly improving their health. Most importantly, the children of Mpolonjeni are spiritually nourished through Christian education, prayer, and Bible study with caring adult role models. 


I’m just so fascinated by it all! We’ll go there someday to visit her, and spoil her. But until then, this cute little letter will just have to do…
If you love what Mission of Mercy is doing to change children's lives, LIKE them on facebook!

It’s just like Santa Clause

I can actually get out of bed energetically on Thursday mornings (when I say “energetically,” I mean I can open my eyes with slightly more ease). Part of it may be because it’s the last day of work for the week, but the majority of it is because of what’s waiting on my porch. At 5:15 I rush down the stairs, let Dasha out to do her business, then throw open my front door. There, on my doorstep, sits that little white box that I know is full of wonderful, wonderful things. I throw open the lid, and though they’ve never missed a day, I am always pleased to see that there is indeed something inside.

Oh, Royal Crest Dairy, how you remind me so of Santa Clause. On Wednesday night I write to you my wish list, and just before bed I place my wish list in a spot where you can find it. Then the next morning, you magically bring me delicious all natural milk, butter, and eggs… and when I really get carried away with my wish list, you leave me with rich chocolate milk and decadent cookie dough. I open your little box lid as if it’s a special gift, and arranging my fresh dairy products in my refrigerator is my favorite Thursday morning task. In fact, I won’t lie; I often open up the refrigerator door a few times afterwards just to look at the new items inside. Leaving for work I feel rest assured that my dairy needs are met for the week, and excitedly I think about the next wish list I get to write to you.

Maybe I’m exaggerating my Royal Crest Dairy obsession just a tad bit, but it honestly made me think about all the little things in a day that keep me going. Some are pretty ridiculous, like Royal Crest Dairy or writing up a to-do list. But it’s good to notice the little ridiculous things in our days that keep us going.

What about you? What little things (ridiculous or not) are part of your days that you look forward to, that give you that little extra kick?

Death by Chewing

I’ve determined our dog’s fate today… My husband is going to slaughter her, with his bare hands, because of her terrible, terrible chewing habit. And I can’t say I blame him…

Dasha loves to chew, and she knows very well what’s okay and what’s not okay to chew. Our first chewing disaster happened when we was only a few months old. She discovered the rough, resistant texture of bark on our small little backyard trees. The first and smallest of the trees is stripped away to nothing but a few rather short branches.

We'll obviously be planting a new tree here.

The second tree is much taller, but she’s stripped away every bottom branch she can reach, as well as removed the entire bark covering around the base of the tree.  Don’t even get me started on the pesky digging she did, all the way down to the roots.

Appropriately, she has a stick from the tree in her mouth...

Our third tree has been almost untouched. Except for a few rebellious leaps into the air at the branches, resulting in not much more than a mouthfuls of buds.

Then came the day that mama, me, wanted to let her stay out of her crate all day. John, my husband, just doesn’t understand. He's not the one that has to go home at lunch to let her out, only to put her back in and deal with those pathetic, pitiful eyes. She can barely enjoy her 45 minutes of free time as she walks around dreading that terrible moment when I grab her collar to direct her upstairs. It's just not right for a pup full of energy and curiosity. No succulent bone you can buy can convince her that her crate is where she wants to be. So John gave in, as any loving husband would.

All went surprisingly well in the morning. She slept a lot (on the couches I might add), but then afternoon hit. She searched the counter tops and table for anything she could get her teeth on. It resulted in a chewed up wooden spoon, slightly damaged Wii remote, and a gnawed on corner of the couch pillow. (Note: We have a “puppy cam” set up that we watch her on from work. That’s how we know all of this…) We blamed ourselves for leaving such tempting items in her reach and put everything away for the next day. Yes, we put away every single thing… oh, except for the lamps. But what dog in her right mind would chew a LAMP?

Dasha would. And did. And now my cute IKEA lamp is no more. (I wished I had gotten a picture of this, but during the moment, taking a photo was the last thing going through my mind.)

A few weeks passed. She was spayed, and I figured that a good spaying had surely matured her. What seven month old dog would chew something she wasn’t supposed to after being spayed?

It was my coffee table. My cute, long sought after, craigslist coffee table that John and I were planning on restoring and finally completing our living room set with (minus a lamp). She didn’t chew on the knob of the coffee table drawer, or any of the contents in the drawer, but instead gnawed the entire corner of the drawer completely off!

You can now guess that this was the instance that just about cost her her life. My beloved coffee table ruined in just a few short minutes. Well, it’s been proclaimed that she will never be left out of her crate for the day again, and that bad behavior results in a firm beating of the butt. Give us a few weeks… we’ll once again be convinced by those loving, miserable eyes that we just need to give her another chance; just one more chance.

Idea: Next time put all of the furniture in the garage, remove the rug, and the entertainment center with everything on it. What a solution! Leave her a completely empty house. Too bad we can't put away any of the walls...

Lockets

It was 11 pm, and instead of sleeping, I was surfing the Etsy app on my phone. Oh, the Etsy app- how it’s so brutally sucked me in.

Last night I did a pretty broad search on vintage necklaces. That’s when I came across the most beautiful of pieces… a vintage locket:

Now, I’m slightly obsessed. What appeals to me most is the long chain. I love that old fashioned look of a loose, soft colored blouse with a silver or gold locket hanging just above the stomach. There’s something so simple and elegant about it… and now, I want one. Not just one, several. But I’ll start with wishing for just one.

Oddly enough, I’ve been drawn to birds with the lockets too. Oh, and blue.

I’m hoping these will still be around when I finally commit and decide to spend some money on one. 


Hmmm... just slightly obsessed.