How to Tuesday: Rolled Felt Flower Wreath

Welcome to How To Tuesday, where I'll introduce you to some of my favorite DIY craft projects from all over the web. I have a folder bookmarked on my computer that's chock-full of fun DIY projects. I saved some of the ideas for inspiration and others because I just thought they were pretty or fun, and now I'm sharing them with you.

Do you like my new wreath? I've been meaning to make this wreath for months now. Just ask Dennis. I picked up the fabric and grapevine wreath at Hobby Lobby a couple of months ago, and it's been sitting on my counter since then. Last weekend, I finally had a chance to put all the pieces together, and I'm really proud of it. Here's another look for you.

I've been seeing these beautiful felt flower wreaths all over etsy, and I knew that they couldn't be that difficult to make, so I started hunting for some tutorials on the internet. First, I made some rolled fabric flowers using the instructions from My Sparkle that I shared with you a couple of weeks ago. Next, I made some felt flowers using this tutorial from Take Heart. After I had the flowers made, I snipped a sprig of red berries off an arrangement in my kitchen and hot glued it all to the wreath. That's it! Done!

I love my new wreath, and once I got started, it was super simple to make. Be sure to visit the links to My Sparkle and Take Heart to learn how to make the flowers, then get to work on prettying up your own door!

Until next time, grace and peace.

Writing Project: Student Life Prime

It's been a while since I've written in detail about my writing projects. Lately, I've been wrapped up in two major contracts, one of which is Prime, the new Bible Study by Student Life. I signed on to write six lessons for this study, and I'm really excited and honored to have been a part of it. I've written five of the six, and honestly, I'll be a little sad to wrap it all up, but I'm hoping to start teaching through this study with my girls in the fall.

Prime is a 48-week study divided into eight 6-week sections, and the entire study is all about living for God above anything else. The lessons talk about being holy, spiritual disciplines, stewardship, the book of James, big questions that we wrestle with, and more. If you're looking for new curriculum to start with your students in the fall, I can't recommend Prime highly enough, but, of course, being one of the writers, I'm biased. It's not available for purchase yet, but it will be ready for the new church year starting in September.

Just thought I'd give you a little more info on what's keeping me busy these days. More on my recent writing projects to come later!

Until next time, grace and peace.

Days Fly By...And Brownies are ALWAYS Good

It's been another busy week, which is surprising, considering that I haven't done much real work (the kind that I get paid for) since Monday. We've been to Corinth and Florence, and although I haven't gone grocery shopping, we've somehow managed to survive. There has been painting, felt flower making, stationery printing, baby shower planning, bowling, bathroom cleaning, babysitting, and lots of general silliness. The week has been full of this and that, and I'm ready for a weekend with my little family. Nothing exciting planned, just a couple of days off to relax and enjoy one another. I read a post on Her.meneutics today about the everyday grace of the "quotidian" stuff of life. Quotidian things, according to the article, are the commonplace, ordinary practices of everyday life. I'm certainly not a master of the balancing act required to be a stay-at-home, working-from-home mommy, but I'm trying. As I scrubbed the shower this week for the first time since December (yes, it really was that bad), I realized that sometimes it's in the drudgery that character is formed. I mean, who really wants to clean a shower? Or wash the dishes? Or change poopy diapers? Or cook supper...again? But the things that we do day in and day out whether we want to or not are the things that help us maintain an orderly and worshipful life. You really should go read more about it on Her.meneutics.

It's been a quotidian week. In parting, I thought I'd leave you with a snapshot from the quotidian life we live. It's sure to make you smile. Brownie batter anyone??

As Micah would say, yum, yum!

Until next time, grace and peace.