refreshed.. for a moment at least

Today was a good day. I wouldn't call it productive, but it was good. I went to bible study this morning. We finished Beth Moore last week and started an Andy Stanley study this week. I am often the youngest woman in the room. There are sometimes other younger moms there but for the most part the women have teenage children and up. There are generations present.. mothers and their mothers. It has been years since I have been in fellowship with older women. (and note.. I am not calling these women old. just referencing my much inferior wisdom!) I've been in "my generation" type churches since I went to college, and even in the larger churches you tend to get put in categories. "mothers with young children, singles, young marrieds." It is so wonderful to just sit in the room and soak in the future. To listen to these women, who could be my own grandmothers and their children who could be my own mother, pray for their babies... and each other. To hear their concerns and insights has brought me some much needed persepective.
After study was over I claimed my husband. yup. just like a coat check. and made him take me out to lunch. We took the littles to Chilis and stole an hour together. Then he had to go back to work. Shucks.

Then... despite the dishes in the sink and the clothes all over the floor... I got my craft on. While the babes slept I made this:

I was inspired by Songbird . This may be my new favorite blog! I love it even more than mine :-). Ha! Beautiful ideas.  There is a tutorial somewhere on her blog on how to make the wreath in the picture of her distressed mirror. I for the life of me can not find it tonight. Mine turned out very different and I made it differently as well. She used a dollar store foam wreath base. I could not find one so I used foam core cut into a donut. She also took a dime store novel and altered it with paint and then rolled the pages. I used a book printed in the 50's. I wanted a more uniform look. My pages were pretty thick, so they did not roll as full and messy like hers (which I adored on hers) but instead rolled fairly uniform. I love my finished product though and am very very happy! I also took a lamp I bought for 5$ at a local discount store and covered the shade with pages of the same book that I had dipped in a glue/water mixture. I have plans to finish the lamp with a bit of my grandmothers lace and some of our remaining beads from our Italy trip. I love the idea of Mr. Simply getting home late from work and coming in to the soft light of a lamp with little reminders of where we met! I havent told you that story? I'll have to do that.. but not tonight. It may have been a refreshing day, but it was still a long one! Time for bed sleepy heads!