by Amy | Oct 9, 2013 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
Savanna lives in the country. Shade dapples the property. Classic cars peek out from behind the barn…projects to be done. The grass is green, bunnies hop through tall weeds, the sun makes the color of the world vibrant.
In this rustically idyllic setting, Savanna fits in perfectly. She’s fun and tough, and the kind of girl who walks around outside without shoes.
Like all the seniors I’ve book so far this year, I know Savanna through the youth group I volunteer with at church. So I offered her the same discount that Gretchen took advantage of. Throughout the rest of the post you’ll find the verses she chose to memorize and recite at her session.
“They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.” Acts 16:31
She and her dad restored this 1960’s truck together. I’m simply crazy about the color. She calls it the “Turtle” because it’s green and slow.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
“In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Hebrews 9:22
“For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” Luke 19:10
Be on the lookout for more from this session on the Facebook page later this week. And don’t forget to come over to the Facebook page every night for a new costume idea throughout the month of October.
Amy
by Amy | Oct 7, 2013 | Blog, Crafts, The Art of Projects
Many moons ago when I first started writing about all my projects and adventures, I wrote a post about an adorable fall garland I made with my mom.
And since most of you weren’t reading back then, and it’s not fair that you miss out, just because you didn’t know this blog existed, I thought I’d do a rerun. The adorable fall garland you see below is a compliment catcher. I get comments on it every year when I hand it up. And it only cost $5 to make two of them. All you need is some felt, very sharp scissors, a Sharpie, and a buddy to chat with while you snip these bad boys out.
Here’s the finished product. Simple and lovely.
I originally made this to be hung on my mantle. But now I live in a house with no mantle. So it resides here. On my piano.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Craft twine–I got a big spool of it at Hobby Lobby for $2.
Felt–Your choice in colors
Computer
Paper
Sharpie
Sharp Scissors
Wide Eyed Needle
Step one: Google Image some leaves. I used five different shapes. Then, use your computer as a light-box and trace the shapes onto some regular or stiff paper. You could easily do this using only one type of leaf. The templates I made were about 3-4″ long. But, you pick the size. Next, cut your templates out and trace them onto the felt. I used a Sharpie for this.
Remember, this is a craft. It’s not going to be judged by a tree specialist. Do your best on tracing and cutting but it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Step Two: Cut out your leaves. My garland used 16 leaves for my 4′ mantle. It may be helpful to decide where you want to hang it before you start, so you have the right amount of leaves.
Step Three: Cut your twine the length you need. Leave a few inches on either end to hang by. Thread a wide eyed needle with the twine. Begin to stitch the leave on the line. Use a simple running stitch so you can adjust the spaces between leaves once they are all attached.
Step Four: Once they are all on the line, space them out how you like. I left a few inches between mine. My mom finished hers by tying scraps of fall colored fabric between each leaf. I left mine bare. Do what you like. To hang it, tie the extra twine into a loop on either end. Use a small nail or clear thumb tack (that’s what I use) to secure it to the wall, window or mantel on either side.
Amy
by Amy | Oct 4, 2013 | Blog, The Art of Faith
The problem with knowing a subject really well is that after a while everything we see about it seems the same. We start to read about it, whatever it is, then our eyes glaze over and we start skimming…because we have it in our heads that we’ve already seen that, heard that, know that.
That’s the problem with being raised as a Christian. Okay. That sounds bad. Being raised in a Christian home is a good thing. Definitely a good thing.
But when we grow up going to Sunday school and VBS and hearing about God over, and over…we get this idea in our head about God and stop seeking to understand Him more. We can develop a tendency to read our Bible and simply be refreshed on what the “story” is. Yes, Jesus walked on water, He calmed a storm, we know about Cain and Able and Joseph and his runway-worthy robe. When we think we “know” God, we stop trying to know Him. These words become stories. The chapters become anecdotes, reminding us of things we already know.
Just a few nights ago I was chatting with my small group within the high school Youth Group at our church. We’ve been studying how we can be better at reading the Bible. In our groups leaders were asked to pitch a few questions to the teens. Earlier in the evening, we all read a passage from James. One question we asked them was, “What does this passage tell us about God?”
When I looked at the questions, I gravitated toward the others on the sheet. Things like, “What’s the main point of this passage?” or “How should our attitudes and actions change after reading this?”
But when we started our discussion, I was surprised when the majority of my group said the question about what the passage tells us about God was their favorite. One girl explained why this was. She said that constantly asking ourselves what an individual passage says about God will continue to push our faith. We’ll continue to grow and understand Him better. Forcing ourselves to pinpoint what a small section of Biblical text says about God will help us examine Him without the context of everything else we have learned in the past.
Brilliant.
I couldn’t agree more. Every chapter, every book, every passage of the Bible speaks of our God. We can learn something about God, whether it’s His character, His plan, His love–from everything we read in the Bible. I encourage you to choose a passage and look upon it with new eyes this weekend. Isolate just a wee bit of text and ask yourself what it says, just that text, about God. You might be surprised at what you learn.
Amy
by Amy | Oct 3, 2013 | Blog
I love the library. I love the smell of it, the look of it, the sound of it. Most of the time when I’m there I pick up an audio book or something non-fiction. I’m a constant learner, you see. Sometimes I think it’d be nice to just go to a section and look around for a type of book, instead of looking up a specific title in the catalog. You know, for those days you just want something on dinosaurs, but you don’t know what. Okay. Maybe I’m the only one that has those kinds of days.
Anyway…at the very least you may find this interesting. I think it’s information worth knowing and I spent a bit of time making it pretty for you. So here goes.
This…is the Dewey Decimal System. It’s how books are organized. It’s those little numbers on the spine of all non-fiction books. Big surprise, those numbers actually mean something. Yes, I realize we might not actually need to know this stuff. But one can never have too much random knowledge in their head. And nowadays this kind of stuff is very hipster and trendy. If you’re into that.
The decimal system is divided into three numbers, then sometimes, a few more numbers after the decimal point. As you can see by the graphic.
The first number is a main, umbrella category. You’ll see what all these categories are in the table below.
The second number breaks things down a little more. This is a division number. It gives a little more specifics to the main category.
The third number is the section. A little more specific.
After that, if the book is even more specific there will be a decimal point and some more numbers. These classify the book even further. If there are more than one books on the same niche topic they will then be sorted by author’s last name. In the example above, I’ve pulled a book on knitting.
{Art | Decorative Arts | Textile Arts | Knitting}
This little graphic breaks down every division. If you want even more specifics check this out. I’ve got this image saved to my phone for reference. Here are a couple decimals I like best:
640’s–this includes home improvement and cooking…so I obviously spend a lot of time there
740’s–this is the craft section
000’s–this is the computer section…and I am still attempting to shine up my web design skills
810’s–American lit…hence the Edgar Allen Poe. It is October, after all.
If you aren’t into books, maybe you’ll be into this precious kitten that was left in a book depository. The library staff kept him and named him Dewey. As in Dewey Decimal. You have to be crazy if you don’t think that’s cute.
And if you are still craving more Dewey. Watch this ridiculous homemade rap on it. It’s long. But the first 2 minutes will give you the idea.
Amy
by Amy | Oct 2, 2013 | Blog, Crafts, The Art of Projects
If you follow the Facebook page, you saw that yesterday I was working on a couple new chalkboards. A while back a friend gave me a couple old window panes that she didn’t need. It’s been months and finally I’ve converted them into something useful. I plan to use them in photo sessions, but when they aren’t in use there, one will be hanging on the gallery wall.
Nearly a year ago I showed you guys how to make your own custom chalkboard paint. Today I thought we’d revisit that technique. Since last time I forgot to take photos and the tutorial was really lacking.
Here’s what you need:
Paint in the color you’d like your chalk board
Unsanded grout
Water
Something to mix in
Something to mix with
Something to chalk board
A paint brush
Here’s what you need to do.
Start by priming your surface. In my case, I primed window glass. But you can use basically anything that can hold paint. I prime with basic acrylic or latex paint.
After you’ve let that dry completely, mix up your chalkboard paint. I mixed mine in an empty baked beans can. It was handy, free, and disposable.
Mix together, 2 TBS unsanded grout and a few drops of water. Just enough water to make a really thick, but smooth paste. If yours is looking thin because of too much water, add a little more grout. Then mix in 1/2 cup of your paint. Paint an even coat all over your surface and let it dry.
Once that’s dry, season your new chalkboard by rubbing the side of a piece of chalk over the whole surface and gently wiping it off. Because of this, your color will not be as vibrant as it was in the jar. Keep that in mind when you choose a color.
Now you are ready to write on your new board.
I used this graphic I made for a little inspiration. But, let’s face it, everything looks cool written on a chalkboard.
Hope this one helps you more than the last tutorial. See you tomorrow,
Amy
by Amy | Oct 1, 2013 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
It’s no secret that I love high-schoolers. Especially the girls. But not in a creepy way. They are living such an exciting time in their lives and there is still so much more to come. The energy, beauty and possibility found in soon-to-be graduates is infectious. Which is why I love senior portrait sessions.
Meet Gretchen. She was my first senior session of the year. I know you will like her as much as I do.
This year for teens involved in the youth group that I volunteer with I offered a special discount. For every Bible verse they could quote to me {up to 5, excluding “Jesus wept” and John 3:16} I’d knock $10 off their session cost. Gretchen nailed all five. Throughout the rest of the post I’ll be writing the verses she chose to quote to me.
Jesus answered, I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1
“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” John 1:1
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8
by Amy | Oct 1, 2013 | Blog, Context, Devotional, The Art of Faith
Sometimes there isn’t a whole lot to say. Sometimes a profound and mind-blowing thought will just wander its way into your head. There’s no solving it, or changing it, or unthinking it.
Last night I had one of those thoughts.
It came to me while doing our nightly Bible study. There was no specific passage that brought it on, but I’ll leave some scripture at the end here to back it up.
It was a thought about life. And how miraculous the human life really is.
As humans we all have a start date, but no end date. Sure, it’s true that we will die one day. Our bodies will wear out and we will cease to exist here. But we, as mortals will never be snuffed out. Our death is only the beginning of the rest of our existence. You see, mortals are built to last an eternity. Not our bodies…no, but our souls…yes.
An eternity. That’s a never ending time frame.
So it blows my mind to think that the core of my very being had it’s start on December 28, 1986 {okay, 9 months before that even}, but my soul will never have an end date attached to it. There is no expiration date. We live on a timeline that only moves forward, on a line that goes on forever. It’s not something that we earn, or choose. It’s our design. It is this fact {yes, it’s a fact} that separates us from every other creature on earth.
Let’s move one step further. Now realizing that our souls are a very miraculous thing {that could not have been thrown together by any happy accident}, think about conception. What a miracle it is that as a woman carries a baby, not only is that being soon to be an independent being, but she is also carrying a vessel with an eternal capacity. Amazing.
What an amazing privilege to be a person. To be mortal. To be human.
So what does this knowledge mean for us? We will live on after we pass from this life. And our choices here in this world will dictate how our eternity is spent. So while we are here living the beginning of our days we must be conscious that our actions, our decisions, and our time effect more than just today or tomorrow. They will change our timelines and point our forever toward light or darkness.
Having the privilege of this knowledge changes the way we view others. This never-ending timeline business is not just for you and me. It’s true for the guy who cut you off on the road, and the lady who paid for her latte in pennies, and the best of this world, and the worst of this world. It’s true for the born, it’s true for the barely conceived, it’s true of the dying, it’s true of the unreached. Doesn’t that give you new eyes as you look upon each other? Shouldn’t this realization cause us to love each other more deeply, and swallow our pride/anxiety/fear long enough to encourage one another toward an eternity of joy?
I think so.
But like I said it’s just a thought.
Amy
PS…here are a couple verses that back up the whole “humans are eternal” thing. These are all linked to chapters or passages so that you can read them in context. There are many more verses that support the fact that humans are made for eternal life. This are just a sampling.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 {Commentary on this one here.}
Matthew 18:8
Matthew 25:46
John 3:16
1 Corinthians 15:51-58
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Titus 3:71
John 5:11-15
by Amy | Sep 29, 2013 | Blog, The Art of Design
A while back I bought a bag of coffee that was one of those cozy fall flavors, like vanilla-pumkin-hazlenut or something. I really bought it because the bag was so darn pretty. The flavor was technically named “Fall In Love.” On the bag there was a heart shaped formed with maple leaves.
And I did fall in love. I drank the coffee. It was good. But really that bag was pretty enough to hang on the wall. So I made something for us, inspired by my coffee bag, to hang up.
It is sized to print at 8.5×11″. So no resizing needed. You could definitely trim the white space off to make it an 8×10″ piece instead. Either way, it’s pretty cute.
Here is the link.
If you like this, even if you aren’t actually going to print it…please share it with your friends!
Now, go get some coffee…and don’t forget, tonight is the season 3 premier of Revenge! {Golly I love that show.}
Amy
