Friday, January 18, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Blog Share: A Beautiful Mess
If you don't already follow this blog, do it. Projects, recipes, fashion, photography. They cover it all and they do it beautifully. It is the most inspiring blog I have ever stumbled upon.
A Beautiful Mess
A Beautiful Mess
Friday, January 11, 2013
Inspiration Board: Wood
I love wood. Seriously. Anything made out of wood will make me stop in my tracks and want it. Just look at all these beautiful things...
Clockwise from the top left:
- Random broken-link Pinterest pin
- Maasai Giraffe from Ten Thousand Villages
- Treehouse Fete Necklace from ModCloth
- Brentwood Pendants from West Elm
- Sisse Jonassen's Apartment from Design Sponge
- Kitchen Essentials from Calphalon Spoon Set at Target
- Wood Art Natural Edge Bowl from ShadyTreeCreations on Etsy
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Thoughtful Thursday: Women's Bodies
When I was at my 38 week pregnancy appointment last week, the nurse-midwife looked at me and said, "We can begin sweeping your membranes at 39 weeks if you want." This is basically the first step in artificially inducing labor. I just stared at her. Why was she even suggesting this? I have had a textbook perfect pregnancy. I am healthy. My baby is healthy. Why would this even be suggested? It is a completely unnecessary medical procedure. More importantly, suggesting it subtly attempts to undermine my ability to trust my body to deliver my baby at the right time. Her reasoning was that some women just get impatient. Well, yeah, I can't say that having a 15lb squirmy medicine ball where my stomach used to be is particularly easy, but isn't it more important to encourage me to believe that my body is capable of triggering labor at the correct time for me and my baby?
Women's bodies are in incredibly complicated. Think about how complicated the human body is in general, and then add to the fact that women's bodies are actually designed to replicate, build and sustain another human body. Our bodies are complicated. Because of this, I have often felt challenged by my body. Between hormones and reproductive cycles and pregnancy, sometimes I feel like I have no idea what is happening in my body or how to respond to it. It can be incredibly frustrating. Yet, as I have traveled through this pregnancy, it can also be incredibly encouraging. My body is amazing in its capabilities. Truly amazing.
Unfortunately, I feel like Western medicine has bought in to this strange idea that women's bodies are perpetually broken and in need of fixing. Our bodies are viewed either as objects of lust or confusing mysterious machines that never work quite right. And there is also an utter disregard for our emotions and minds and how they affect our bodies. Lots of people will joke about how women are more emotional than men, but why aren't our feelings even a factor when discussing our bodies with doctors?
I've had conversations with two friends today who said yes to an optional (though recommended) medical procedure not because they were comfortable with the procedure, but because the doctors approached them with horror stories of what might happen if they don't go through with it. Western medicine operates out of the fear of what may be rather than having any faith that maybe if we just give a body a little time, it might do just fine. And the utter disrespect of their emotions was infuriating. We cannot disconnect how we feel from how our bodies are doing. They are always connected.
A friend once said that Satan hates women especially because we have been given the gift of bringing life into the world. As I look around at the body image issues and physical issues by which so many of my friends have been plagued, I think this is true. Our bodies and the image of them have been attacked on so many levels. How many women truly believe that their bodies are beautiful, incredible works of art and mechanics? Because they are. They are valuable for a lot more than sex (which is the only value our society seems to place on them these days). Our bodies are miraculous. It is a great tragedy that we have lost all sight of this.
Women's bodies are in incredibly complicated. Think about how complicated the human body is in general, and then add to the fact that women's bodies are actually designed to replicate, build and sustain another human body. Our bodies are complicated. Because of this, I have often felt challenged by my body. Between hormones and reproductive cycles and pregnancy, sometimes I feel like I have no idea what is happening in my body or how to respond to it. It can be incredibly frustrating. Yet, as I have traveled through this pregnancy, it can also be incredibly encouraging. My body is amazing in its capabilities. Truly amazing.Unfortunately, I feel like Western medicine has bought in to this strange idea that women's bodies are perpetually broken and in need of fixing. Our bodies are viewed either as objects of lust or confusing mysterious machines that never work quite right. And there is also an utter disregard for our emotions and minds and how they affect our bodies. Lots of people will joke about how women are more emotional than men, but why aren't our feelings even a factor when discussing our bodies with doctors?
I've had conversations with two friends today who said yes to an optional (though recommended) medical procedure not because they were comfortable with the procedure, but because the doctors approached them with horror stories of what might happen if they don't go through with it. Western medicine operates out of the fear of what may be rather than having any faith that maybe if we just give a body a little time, it might do just fine. And the utter disrespect of their emotions was infuriating. We cannot disconnect how we feel from how our bodies are doing. They are always connected.
A friend once said that Satan hates women especially because we have been given the gift of bringing life into the world. As I look around at the body image issues and physical issues by which so many of my friends have been plagued, I think this is true. Our bodies and the image of them have been attacked on so many levels. How many women truly believe that their bodies are beautiful, incredible works of art and mechanics? Because they are. They are valuable for a lot more than sex (which is the only value our society seems to place on them these days). Our bodies are miraculous. It is a great tragedy that we have lost all sight of this.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Blog Share - Vintage Revivals
I literally just found this blog today, and I love it! It's fantastic. Today's project was very inspiring to me since I see these bits of embroidery and lace and quilts all the time and wonder how to update them. Doesn't this re-framed crewel work look amazing?
Vintage Revivals
Vintage Revivals
Monday, January 7, 2013
DIY Monday: Nightlight Artwork
I didn't really think I was going to be blogging again, but now that I am, I have some projects to share. Unfortunately, I do not have step-by-step photos of these projects because, well, I didn't know I would be blogging again!
First up is a nightlight for the baby's room. I found an idea on Pinterest that had no real instructions or anything, but I decided I could probably do it.
Supplies:
2) Then, I covered the canvas in star stickers and star post-it notes. I used post-it notes because I couldn't find stickers as big as I wanted.
3) Then I painted over everything with a sponge brush and a bottle of regular acrylic paint. I used pretty much the entire bottle. I painted in waves and swirls so that the visible brush strokes would add to the pattern. This is more Van Gogh Starry Night than precision.
4) I waited for the paint to dry and then peeled off the stickers and post-it notes. The post-it notes worked okay, but not great. They stuck to the canvas pretty badly once the paint dried. I think I should have peeled them off while the paint was still wet, but I was afraid of the paint bleeding. The stickers actually didn't end up with clean edges either. Again, more Starry Night than precision.
5) I touched up the edges of the stars with a small paintbrush to cover up the stuck paper and some of the truly uneven edges.
6) I grabbed a staple gun and a string of white Christmas lights and stapled the lights in a zig zag pattern across the inside of the canvas. This is where having the deep gallery canvas helped a lot. There was plenty of room for the lights to sit without pushing the frame away from the wall.
7) I plugged it in and it worked! I love it so much! I will have to get a timer or remote for the outlet since I ended up hanging it behind the crib, but right now I just leave it on and enjoy it. :)
First up is a nightlight for the baby's room. I found an idea on Pinterest that had no real instructions or anything, but I decided I could probably do it.
Supplies:
- Canvas (I used a deep gallery canvas from Michael's)
- Acrylic Paint
- Sponge paintbrush (what are those things called?)
- Small regular paintbrush
- Christmas lights
- Stickers
- Staple gun
2) Then, I covered the canvas in star stickers and star post-it notes. I used post-it notes because I couldn't find stickers as big as I wanted.
3) Then I painted over everything with a sponge brush and a bottle of regular acrylic paint. I used pretty much the entire bottle. I painted in waves and swirls so that the visible brush strokes would add to the pattern. This is more Van Gogh Starry Night than precision.
4) I waited for the paint to dry and then peeled off the stickers and post-it notes. The post-it notes worked okay, but not great. They stuck to the canvas pretty badly once the paint dried. I think I should have peeled them off while the paint was still wet, but I was afraid of the paint bleeding. The stickers actually didn't end up with clean edges either. Again, more Starry Night than precision.
5) I touched up the edges of the stars with a small paintbrush to cover up the stuck paper and some of the truly uneven edges.
6) I grabbed a staple gun and a string of white Christmas lights and stapled the lights in a zig zag pattern across the inside of the canvas. This is where having the deep gallery canvas helped a lot. There was plenty of room for the lights to sit without pushing the frame away from the wall.
7) I plugged it in and it worked! I love it so much! I will have to get a timer or remote for the outlet since I ended up hanging it behind the crib, but right now I just leave it on and enjoy it. :)
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Psalm 150
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)