insta friday ... on saturday.

every year Christmas does it to me.

it kills me.

and every year i say ... next year will be different.

it might happen this year

this year is sorta different for me ... it's new for me, i've never had a year like this one

so we'll see what stems from it ... i'm seeing good, big changes

i wanted to just rest and enjoy my girls being home for 2 weeks

but it went on for a bit longer

i was gonna dive right in here with a project but i feel like i need to catch up with you guys

a lot of fun stuff is always happening on my instagram feed

you can follow me there i'm raisinguprubies

coffee? tea anyone? come sit with me for a few...

1. any article of clothing with hearts on it is rad (no big surprise there)

2. i have a friend that we call ... uh ... "supernatural" she does everything in like

5 minutes or less, and it's always perfect. it's annoying yeah. but we love her a lot, so it outweighs the annoyance. she painted these wooden people. and she's not even a professional painter person or anything. see... annoying.

3. dress garlands went and got all Christmas like :) 

they'll be back in the shop soon. can't wait for v-day. it's my fav.

4. i was so blessed by you guys during the holidays ... i get to do what i love because of your love & support! that means so much and i {heart} you.

5. in an open and honest kinda way, i've been struggling emotionally lately

i'm wrestling with things i don't like, things i don't want to wrestle with. 

and honestly it's just down right exhausting. 

i feel worn. tired. 

my journal is a place, i've noticed, that i go to seeking refuge. 

quiet.

a place where i'm forced to shush my ever-annoying thoughts and listen for His.

listen for the still small Voice ... some days i strain. but i need to hear. i need to listen.

it's so hard when my thoughts are tripping over each other so obnoxiously, that not even a simple sound can break through.  go away thoughts. just go away.

i want them replaced with my Savior's thoughts.

i need to hear the Voice of Truth.

nothing else.

my thoughts suck.

so yeah. journal picture right there.

6. so. much. happy. mail.

7. Christmas goodies were taking over my studio

8. two of my most favorite jewlery peeps here & here

9. pear & brie tart. yum. recipe here

1. this picture may or may not have spoiled some of the gifts we got for the girls. maybe.

didn't say it did for sure. but it mighta.

2. side braid ... pretending i'm queen of Sparta in the movie 300

in my minivan. yup. weird like that.

3. i've been asked a lot recently about what my journaling process is ... and if i could write a post with some details ... i really really want to do that. i'm still sorting out in my head what i want to say though.  since i never started it intentionally this way... 

i'll have to write more about it. soon.

4. the "rubies" get put to work every so often :)

5. these mixers tags were my fav. (will be in the shop again too, though i'll be fading these specific ones out only to be replaced by an even better design! made for me by my bloggy & real life bestie AmyJ. 

of course. cause she's the awesomest.

(have you seen her shop makeover?! she's got all new, cutest ever, clipart in her etsy shop! it's like a little piece of Amy in an instant download. go see. quick. i'll wait)

6. packing up the goods is the best part

7. stripes + lace = serial cuteness

8. do you have a charming charlies near you? beware.

9. i'm so excited about this new year and about all the new ideas i have for the shop and for this blog ... including new hoop designs! i keep jotting little notes when inspiration hits!

1. these shoes.

2. more happy mail. this was only half that day! ♥

3. this blanket. wow. rainbowtized afghan. love. thanks aunt crochet.

4. me. shopping day.

5. this freaked me out. (and a bunch of people on instagram freaked out too)

6. ...in Your unfailing love You will lead the people You have redeemed. 

in Your strength You will guide them... exodus. fifteen. thirteen.

7. this girl. mini me. stress for daddy.

8. this purse. was $250. yup. so i wanna try making it myself.

9. i got this purse instead. which i love just as much. and did not cost a whole weeks wages

1. under the rainbow-tized blanket. in front of the tree. with hot chocolate. and a cookie

ok two cookies. fine.

2. this stuff is chapstick crack. i will never go back to whatever else i used.

go buy some and tell her i sent you.

3. in Christ i have been brought to fullness. colossians. two. ten

that's all. no big deal. #hugebigdeal

4. Christmas in the studio

5. bottle brush trees. with corks for trunks. 

from a huge tub of corks that was in the basement, that i bought from a garage sale like three years ago... yeah i knew i was keeping them for a reason. exactly for that specific reason. so knew it.

6. Commit to the Lord whatever you do. He will establish your plans. 

proverbs.sixteen.three

7. did you snag a JOY marquee sign from Target? i had a bunch of fun with it. 

might just have to stay up all year

8. this toy was my favorite, of the gifts the girls received. it was super fun for them

and bonus: no mess! (my little customized hers. all about the ponies over here)

9. it was a no-heat curls. no makeup. hot chocolate. 

crank the heat up cause its 8 degrees here. 

packin up the last of the happy mail kinda day that day. it was.

1. psalm. ninety. two... had been wrestling with those words for a few days. sometimes it just feels good to get things on paper. out loud. like it's a done deal that way. confirmed. a sure thing.

try it sometime :)

2. stumbled across this fun post ... where you make a granny square, every day of the year (or a bunch on the weekend, however it works best for you) then you'll have 365 squares or enough to piece together a blanket at the end of 2014... cool huh?! i was super excited, since one of my goals is to take some time to create just for me, or for my home ... no matter what else is going on, no matter what deadlines are looming. to just stop and take some time to be creative & rest.

if you want to join in head over to my feed for the deets, and you can share progress with the hashtag #crochetmoodblanket2014

3. yarn is happy ... some of the colors i chose for the blanket, some for the shop.

4. made some lists when the new year hit, lists of things i really want to be better at, or accomplish. 

on that list is this room. it's our family room. its lived in and loved...I don't talk about it much probably because it's in transition. a transition between how I decorated it when we moved here almost eight years ago to a room that's more of a reflection of our family now. a reflection of how we do life together. a reflection of me changing as a homemaker. you can probably see where the shift is taking place since you all know me a little bit :) 2013 was also a year of shifting for me. as a wife, mother, and daughter of the King. happy things and hard things that I know will both carry over into the new year with me. so like 2014, I have big plans for this room. can't wait to make it into something awesome for the people I love most....and excited to share the progress with you!

5. pom pom wreath. more on that soon...

6. I don't have a word for 2014. but I feel like I have direction... a sense of peace from Isaiah 61. almost as somewhat of a compass to lead me in that right way. have you read this passage? it's all about rebuilding. restoration. "...crown of beauty, oil of joy, and a garment of praise. they will be called oaks of righteousness a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor... they will rebuild ruins & restore the places long devastated... everlasting joy will be yours..." wow. amazing promises for a new year. a fresh start. i'm claiming this chapter this year. i'm claiming hope & faith in these promises. His promises to me. His promises to you sweet friends. what are you claiming for 2014?? tell me! i wanna know...

7. these boots had me at the flowers. aaaand the ribbon laces ♥

8. so that granny a day that i'm so excited about?? ... well i made a few squares, and decided i'm not a square person. i'm a heart person. made a few hearts instead ... much better. 

here is the pattern and what the end result will look like.

9. what i love most about instagram, is the connections.

the connections you make with woman all over the US & the world ... that you would have otherwise never known ... creative girls, struggling with life, small business owners, loving life, blessed with full happy homes & thrifting addictions ... tons of girls just like me.

i connected with Kiley about a year ago, through our blogs ... and together we got to meet Deb as she was passing through here last week ... but lunch at Panera for two hours was too short of a visit girls!

1. i'm working on a few goodies for the shop, for Valentines day ... my most favorite of all celebrations :) 

i took a survey on ig for most liked sayings on some new garlands

the top three were 1, 2 & 4 ... an ig friend even suggested calling them "jarlands" ??!?!!! 

wait. what?!?! how cute is that? never thought of it ... 

jar garlands... jarlands. whatcha think? :) ig friends are awesome.

2. dealing with the Christmas aftermath. purging, sorting and getting aggravated 

cause i don't want stuff anymore. say no to stuff in 2014.

3. this recipe. tried it. was good. 

the hubs is a cookie connoisseur . he loves cookies. well, certain kinds anyway.

so when it comes to a chocolate chip or an oatmeal cookie ...if it passes the test, i'm happy

4. more fun hoops ... ideas are always swimming around in my brain.

 i'll be having another hoop sale hopefully at the beginning of the week.

whew... lots of catching up

happy 2014! can't wait to share lots of good stuff here with you all ♥

happy weekend too :)

linking up with my really funny friend here: