One World One Heart

Hi Everyone!  I want to tell you about a fun event that I am participating in called One World, One Heart.

It is a chance to get to know others in the blogging community from all over the WORLD!  Maybe I will find out that tantrums are the same no matter what language!  I have learned recently that the hair accessories in Thailand are actually figures of old fashioned women's hats.  They actually wear hats in their hair as clips, like I make.  So fun!  And so interesting!  Here is one I found listed from Thailand on ebay.  These are actually hair clips!

So anyway, as I get excited about finding out more about other countries and their cultures and even more people from my own country who love to blog, I am encouraqged to offer a giveaway for people who come by and see me. 

First of all, let me introduce myself.  My name is Candace.  I have 5 children (3 boys and 2 girls) and I make hair accessories of all kinds.  I started by using up ribbon after making my first daughter things for her hair and then it became a sort of obsession of sorts.  Now I love doing it as a hobby and a way to make a little money.  I would love to do better and improve my craft, but that takes time of which I have very little.  My husband just joined the National Guard as a Chaplain Candidate so we are entrenched in him taking online masters classes, raising our children and working full time for a church.

Okay, enought about me and onto the giveaway.  I will use random.com to choose a winner from all the comments to this post.  Just leave your comment below for a chance to win this:

This is a beautiful crocheted headband with a bright pink gerbera flower clip.  The clip is detachable for interchangeable flowers and to use the flower as a clip by itself.  I like the hawaiian look myself.

And here is an example of what the headband looks like in your hair or your daughter's hair!

So browse around my blog.  Become a follower is you find anything of interest or you or want to become friends!  I would love to have more followers and friends!  And leave a comment to enter the giveaway.  Be sure to leave your e-mail address or a way to let you know that you are a winner!  And you may even want to think about joining the fun!! Winners will be announced February 15th!

Sabbath

Why does it seem like I don't ever get a sabbath rest?  Somehow with a pastor for a husband, we spend our Sundays running around from place to place and not really relishing in the rest God has given us.  I did take a nice long nap today.  We always REQUIRE naps of our children, no matter what age, on Sundays.  I think that is a good habit to get into, don't you?  My prayer for them is that one day they will make the habit of taking a sabbath.  It doesn't have to be Sunday.  It could be Saturday, or Monday (which happens to be my husband's day off), but I believe it is important to pause and rest our weary souls from life's burdens and busy-ness.  I believe we should take a Sabbath time everyday to spend time with our creator and our Saviour.  I also REQUIRE my children to spend one hour (at least....I pray it's longer some days or they *accidentally* fall asleep....haha.)in quiet time.  I purposely call it quiet time so they remember when I ask them to do their quiet time reading the Bible, they know this time is set aside for Him.  Only my oldest is reading his Bible during this time and that's okay.  I know the others will get it.  I HAVE to discipline myself to not pick up toys, get on the daggone computer, switch laundry over or clean dishes.  I just have to sit down in my big brown chair and open my Bible immediately or I won't do it.  If you ever see me online between 1:30 and 2:30 PM EST please tell me to get off the computer!  I have some business to do with my Lord.  I love Him so much.  My wish is for all to come to know Him....will you please?  Just ask me.

Elegant Rose Boutique Giveaway

Just wanted to let you all know about a lady in my online etsy group who is being featured on the site http://women-prenuergalore.blogspot.com/ Melissa is a very talented natural soap and fragrance maker as well as many other things that smell good.  I am not a customer yet, but I plan to be!  Some of her home fragrances sound so wonderful!  Anyway, http://women-prenuergalore.blogspot.com/ is having a giveaway for one of her soaps and you can enter for a chance to win here, just by checking out her shop and posting.  I think it is worth a shot and I wanted another chance so here I am blogging about it to my friends.  Her etsy shop is http://www.elegantroseboutique.etsy.com/ so you can look at all her fabulous things.  I will let you know if I win!! :)

Shop Sale and Free Shipping

I took my four year old daughter out for lunch and shopping today.  I just had to get out of here.  I have been cooped up since Wednesday night, unable to go anywhere due to sicknesses and my patience and fresh air meter were at the bottom.  Anyway, we had a fabulous time just talking, laughing and being girls.  Our goal...new ribbon (always! right?) and pink soccer stuff for her birthday!  This will be the first year she can play footsie soccer and she is SOOOO excited!  I think she is more excited than the boys ever were!  I can't wait to make bows for her hair for this adventure.  I know what you're thinking....sweet little girl in pink outfit and cute bows running around on the field...a girl who loves to talk and shop....so sweet...NO.  This girl has spunk and vigor and she is going to show those little boys who is boss, which she frequently does to her three older brothers!  My middle two boys do not want to play this year, they just want to cheer her on.  I know they will be the her biggest fans!  Ok, so we ran into a problem...they don't make pink soccer shoes in her little size.  I'm thinking, great, I can't afford these anyway.  So I may just have to take the old pair we have and color them pink with permanent marker?  You know......the three little while adidas stripes on the side...can that be done?  So we opted for extra small soccer socks and a tiny little water bottle which we shall save for her birthday coming up at the end of this month.

OK, now for the real reason you have decided to continue reading this post.  Everyone loves a sale!  I know I do!  So here it is.  I am offering 10% off any purchase over $10  in my shop and Free Shipping for items over $20.  I thought this was simple enough until I started realizing that you actually have to purchase over $20 in order to get both discounts...so it works out to be something like $22.23.  Also, a portion of all my sales until the end of this month (and possibly longer) will go to the tragedy in Haiti.  I will either donate to my church's fund, my dad's friend who runs an orphange Faith Hope Love Infant Rescue, or CAMA Services.  There are many people from CAMA and funds already on the ground in Haiti.  Please consider buying some bows and donating to a worthy cause as the same time.

Have you ever felt like giving up?

I really need some perspective here.  I watched some news this morning which I don't normally get to do on Sundays because we are bustling around getting reay to go to church and my rule is: no electronics on Sunday morning.  Because.....inevitably I will be getting everyone ready to go, forgetting one lone child, left in his bed playing his leapster, not dressed, starving, but content to be pushing buttons and winning whatever game is his pleasure at the time....ok, major tangent....back to the news....
Haiti.  I bet there are a lot of people there ready to give up.  Why did this happen to us God?  Why didn't you just take me God?  I heard of a woman (graphic details follow * warning* )who lost four of her children in her collapsed home and they were still inside decaying.  All she wants to do is be able to bury them and she can't even get to them.  In that case, I might ask, why didn't you just take me instead?  Now, don't get to thinking that I want to die, because I don't.  I had a very close friend commit suicide last year and the aftermath of her leaving her husband and four teenage children was more that I would want any of my precious family to bear no matter how hard my struggle.  But my perspective changes as I watch the news with these beautiful haitian people...missionaries....friends.....students....suffer at the hands of nature...God?  Everything happens for a purpose and God can bring good out of any circumstance.  It's hard to understand sometimes, when we are going through something tough, why this is happening.  My circumstances are nothing compared to what others are facing today and everyday.  I read yesterday about a woman (another blogger) who lost her dear husband at 39 to a heart attack.  Why?  He left two young children behind and his precious wife.  You can read her story here. And if you are so inclined, you can help her out by purchasing her much discounted items from her shop, which she is now closing.  But even she is probably looking at the families in Haiti and gaining some perspective.  God is still God.  He is the same yesterday today and forever and He loves His people even in the midst of tragedy.  It may not seem fair or right, but He knows all and he knows what is best for us and He will bring about his full pleasure in the end!  It is so hard to trust when we don't understand but remember that God is the source of all strength if we would just lean on Him.  Now....if I could just listen to me own words.....:)

Humble forgiveness! And SUPER COOL GIVEAWAY!

Hey!  I suppose after reading last night's post, it was super negative!  I am really not a negative person so I apologize if I seemed rather bitter.  My children were all throwing up yesterday and last night so that probably reflected in my attitude.  Many thanks to my *friend* Organic mama who is my first follower!  Check out her blog at http://www.organicmamasblog.blogspot.com/ I have actually never met her in person, but isn't that the way with bloggy world?  We became fast friends during her last giveaway when I donated some of my super awesome bows (see, arrogant again! ha!) and she decieded to be a customer and I became a customer of her awesome knitted baby items!  So excited to give one of her hats to my girlfriend who is adopting from Ethipoia.  I doubt Joanna will read this, but if you do Jo, BE SURPRISED!  Ha!  I always wante dto learn how to crochet and knit.  My mom tried to teach me one time and let me just say it wasn't good.  I tried to make a baby blanket that ended up looking like a map of the United States instead of a Rectangle. My mom lovingly took it from me to *fix it!  Thanks mom!  So anyway, let me stop rembling and send you off to http://organicmamas.etsy.com/ to shop and at least heart her shop.  *Heart* is Etsy lingo for marking a shop as a favorite.  I love that!  And while you're at it, head on over to my shop and remember to pick something sweet out for your little girls!  Love you all!

Arrogant Bloggers!! :)

The blogging world is so amazing to me.  I haven't completely given myself over to it yet for a couple of reasons.  #1 Why in the world would anyone care what I have to say?  I mean I know my mom would read my blog, but she kind of has to.  My husband doesn't even read my blog, (God love him, but he just doesn't have time. He knows everything I write anyway because I talk too much!) so why would a perfect stranger read it?  #2  The idea that I am writing down my life to be placed into cyberspace somewhere out there seems kind of wrong, expecially when blogging about my silly children. And finally there are just so many moms out there blogging about our lives; Our lives, however rich with cute little children antecdotes, are actually consumed with the cyberworld and living vicariously through other moms.  I truly don't understand how all these moms have this much time.  Some of these moms even run an etsy or ebay business and/or homeschool their children. What?  I am writing for the first time in a long time at 9:00 PM at night.  My children who are all sick with the stomach flu have been vegging all day and are tightly packed in bed with their vomit buckets close by.  I can hear "That Thing You Do" playing in the background while my husband studies for his graduate class next to me.  But who cares?  Isn't it arrogant of me to believe that you, cyberspace, want to hear about me?

On a lighter note.  I have been doing a little creating and here is what I am coming up with!  I am loving new things.  I just wish I had more time to create.  Please come buy my stuff!  Let's be real people.  I am a what- you-see-is-what-you-get kind of woman....bloggers only blog to promte themselves, their business and make money.  They may love their jobs, but it isn't just happy fuzzy wuzzies, it's mostly about the money and that's okay.  I'm all for being a proverbs 31 woman, as long as it doesn't cost me my relationship with the very people I am blogging about....my family.