transitions

has it really been almost a full month since i have written anything?
i am so sorry. i have a dozen post ideas, but something keeps stealing my time and attention.
i wonder if it would have something to do with moving, or looking for work, or being pregnant.

oh, that's right! i haven't share my awesomely crazy news here. congrats to me!
besides what can only be called the worst possible timing, i am very excited about another person joining our family. i'm not as excited about the nausea that keeps me down all day, and the lack of energy.
i'd probably be more productive if i wasn't so sick and tired, right?

well, i also wanted to share that we arrived in polk county safely, and found out i was pregnant our second night here! (i puked my guts up and took a test. worst. night. ever.)

we moved into our house a few days later, and have been sitting around for weeks!
in between looking for work and going to church, of course.

things are going pretty well, though we are a little worried about employment. i have a substitute position, which means i'm not guaranteed hours, and danny is currently pursuing a position with the sheriff's department, but until we have our budget nailed down, we are stretched pretty thin.

good thing we know where the cheez-its come from. (just click the link, and watch the video, okay?)

i hope things in your life are a little more stable, though not completely boring, and that you find blessings to be thankful for today.
-karey

leaving miami

moving.

we are moving.
at the time of posting, we have less than 12 hours until we pull out of the driveway in miami.

it has been a long time in the works, and i have struggled with this decision for a long time. at first, i struggled to understand danny's emotion, his homesickness for polk county and his resistance to settle in miami, and then i struggled with my own emotions, the same longing for familiar turf and faces, and the resounding loneliness that surrounded us in dade county.

it was not an easy decision to make, though we never really planned to be in miami permanently.

i have made a few friends here, with people at church and in the children's home, and i am reluctant to say goodbye. i will miss them dearly, and as much as i will try to maintain connection, i think we all know it won't be the same. i feel disappointed in myself, and fear their disappointment, that maybe we didn't give our full effort to make this work and to stay.

we have worked a difficult job, and we are broken. we are not leaving to escape, but to heal. that, more than anything, should be sufficient to lift any disappointment i might have in myself.

moving home holds a lot of hope for us. there is the promise of family, those people who have known us all our lives and encourage us in our dreams, and there are the friends, who bring joy into every meeting. there is the promise of roots, of building a community and a home. these things quiet my misgivings about leaving, and encourage my heart to dream.

the future is a little uncertain at this point, though we know and trust that our Provider is preparing the way for us. we long for godly community, and to be rebuilt in our faith and our family.

in seeking employment, i have found a position as a substitute teacher at a local christian school, which will allow me plenty of time to pursue my creativity as well. one of my hopes for the future is to build an online shop, and i've gotten started here. i'm hoping to build a unique inventory, and to eventually create my own brand and product line. sometimes it feels like i'm aiming too high, but i don't want to settle for little dreams.

i hope you will continue to follow my blog, as i anticipate having more time and energy to invest here. i really do want to share so many details from my every day life, and i am counting on exciting details in the future.

as we move forward, i'll ask for your prayers and encouragement. i'm sure there's hard work ahead.
-karey

Myrle Medeiros

as many of you know, i love to thrift. i especially love a good junk store, where i leave feeling the need to wash my hands. my favorite shop is located minutes from my mother's house, and i can spend hours in there, though my hands get covered with grime from the experience.

it's almost always worth it, as i often find beautiful things, left unwanted or unappreciated by their previous owners. one such find was the artwork of Myrle Medeiros, and i feel so lucky to have picked them up accidentally.

i was looking for picture frames to use as trays for Ethan's second birthday party, and i found a matching set of rough, wooden frames, priced at $3 a piece. both had family documents in them; one was a certificate for the World's Greatest Grandfather, dated in the 70s.

"Sugar Bon" and "Huck Finn"

when I took out the glass and certificates (to clean the frames), these prints appeared, and i was instantly enamored. with their bright doe eyes and vibrant colors, i couldn't help but show off the amazing treasure i had unearthed. 

as much as i had planned to research the artist, and share them here, i never got around to it, but yesterday, i was reading Thompson Family Life, and found the image below.

Medeiros's Sugar Bon, with the pink ribbon, via Danielle

do you see it? the little girl with the kitten and their matching ribbons? i instantly recognized the style, and asked Danielle if she knew who the artist was. she responded quickly, sharing this link, where a fan has meticulously collected information about the artist and painting style.

i don't know that there is a technical term for the style, but the consensus seems to say "Big-Eyed Waif," and typically includes artwork that features children with large eyes. this trend was popular in the sixties and seventies, and included many artists, including Florence Kroger, and Margaret Keane, who sold the images under her husband's name.

i i was fascinated to find more of Medeiros's work, as well as information on the painting trend, and i'm so thankful that Danielle was able to help. i love my paintings, not because they are popular or well-known, but because of the saturated hues and beautiful faces.

hopefully, i'll be able to purchase a few more prints and start a small collection soon. 

so, what do you think of my paintings?

-karey

twenty-five

today is my birthday, and i am now a quarter-of-a-century old.

it is an odd thing to say, and even stranger to hear, but this birthday seems to be a milestone for me.
maybe it is because i feel myself in a transition, that falls so neatly with this birthday, or maybe it is because the age is changing me, but should i not approach this year differently than all the previous? will it mark a change for the future?

to be honest, i hope this birthday becomes a monument to the positive change i am making.

i want to make better choices, concerning what i eat, and i want to exercise more often, to take care of my physical body. i want to be a better wife and mother, caring wholeheartedly for my husband and son. i want to be more mindful of how i spend my time and money, both are too precious to be wasted. i wish to be kinder in the words i say, presenting the love of my savior to the people around me, and i want to be braver in expressing who i am, that i may never be ashamed of who God made me to be.

with all the wonderful things He has blessed me with, relationships, possessions, even talents and skills, i want to be a wise steward, and bring glory to Him in all things.


i also want this birthday to become a mark of the way i celebrate life.

i hope to continue to be joyful and curious, keeping the best things of youth without the tantrums or selfish impulses. i want to marvel at the world around me, and take pride in the work God has given me to do. i hope to laugh heartily with those around me, and build friendships based on mutual trust and enjoyment. i want every season to be a fresh opportunity to admire God's handiwork and worship Him anew.

as i turn twenty-five, i want to be clay in God's hands, as He shapes me into a person who brings Him glory. i do not want to worry over my bad habits, or question the wisdom in every decision. i want to bring a smile to God's face, that He should rejoice over me with singing.

-karey

whether or not your birthday is near, i hope you take the time to evaluate your life today, and begin reaching for the positive changes you wish to make. feel free to share them with me here, and i will lift you up in prayer as God continues to work in us all.

thrifty:glass jars

i've been collecting glass jars for a little while now, just keeping ones from our kitchen and buying some from thrift stores, if i like them.

the last time we visited family, my mother-in-law offered me some glass jars, "you know, for canning." i gladly took them, but not because i like making jam or pickles. i don't think i know anyone who does, really.

in all honesty, i like the jars as they are. they're a staple of american culture, and i'd be content just to see them lined up on my shelf, but i'm trying to fight my packrat tendencies, so i have to admit that empty jars occupying valuable space isn't really reasonable.

which means i had to go looking for creative uses, and with all the things these jars can do, i can't wait to find some more. that's not excessive, is it?
-karey
do you have an affinity for glass jars? any good project ideas?

Tuesday is for Pictures

hello, all!
i have decided that i am going to try a schedule for posting, just to give myself a little more accountability and structure to blog more. hopefully, it will help me to be a little more consistent.

with that, i have decided that i will try to put all my photography in one post for each week on Tuesdays!

this week, i've got some amazing sports images to share. we had some volunteers come play with our kids, and as usual, i pulled out my camera.

some photos just strike me as magical. it's an inspiration and a challenge, because i know i really had the tiniest part in capturing these moments. that's when i remember i'm an amateur, and i'm still learning so much about this craft.
i guess i should lay it out like a goal, that i want to create these images, not just capture them.
i think i'd give my right arm for some models i could shoot for free. ones whose faces i could actually post, that is.

i can't complain too much, i know that i'm blessed to have my camera and an eye for even capturing these shots. and i have the assurance that i'm improving.
see you next tuesday with better more pictures!
-karey

thrifty

it has been a while since i've posted here, and life has simply been a mess for me lately, but never fear, i am coming back to my crafty ways, and will soon have my camera in hand, like a trusty sidekick once more.

what i have to share today is fairly simple, but i wanted to share it anyway, and its my blog, right? last week, i went thrifting and had a marvelous time. i came back with several treasures, the first of which was a necklace of teal beads. it was a little long, so i un-strung the beads, and stored them in this cute little mason jar, a gift from my mother-in-law. i actually returned with more than a dozen jars, a couple of them are a few odd sizes, but i like them all. (i'm actually building a small collection of glass jars.)

i then took a few pictures, and re-strung the beads on a shorter string, measuring it against my neck to find a length i liked. it was pretty simple, and luckily, the fastener was simple enough to reuse. and now i have a beautiful necklace that i love!

what do you think? i've worn it twice already and i LOVE it!
-karey