25th & Skillern

Farm Anatomy

2012-05-20T23:13:00.000-05:00

How adorable are these farm illustrations by Julia Rothman? I ran across this book Farm Anatomy in B&N the other day and fell in love. I don't usually make birthday lists, but this will be added to mine this year. It will be a nice addition to my other coffee table gardening books.

After seeing these illustrations, I can't help but daydream of living on a beautiful farm and growing awesome food. Digging in the dirt is just plain good for my soul.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made

2012-05-15T09:45:00.000-05:00

Today is my best friend's birthday. I'm reminded of just how faithful God is in leading friends into our lives to speak into in such big ways. Mandy, thanks for always loving me for who I am, for pursuing our friendship even when I wandered, and for being a beautiful sister and leader in Christ. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, and I'm so glad God let our paths cross. Here's to 17+ more years of friendship! So incredibly glad you were born.

God bless you and keep you,
God smile on you and gift you,
God look you full in the face
and make you prosper.
Numbers 6:24-26, MSG

Monday Snapshots

2012-05-14T14:25:00.001-05:00

Here are a couple snapshots from our weekend in Branson. We had such a fun time even though we didn't do much, because every show costs 1 arm and 2 legs to get into. We did however manage to find a deliciously wonderful candy store and a beautiful lake. Trips with Kev are the best. They are good for my heart.

Summer vacation is right around the corner. 9 more school days here...but who's counting? Woo hoo!

Happy Monday!

Wrapping Up

2012-05-08T10:43:00.000-05:00

Sorry things have been quiet around here lately. Brandon and I are wrapping up the end of the school year, and we are trying to get as much work done as possible. And by work, I obviously mean planning an awesome end-of-the-school-year party. So far, we've come up with movies, bowling, and possibly the zoo. I can't wait to spoil him! He's been such a hard worker this year. 13 more school days, people!

I'm so excited for summer - hopefully I will be able to post on here more. We've got tons of gardening and house-ing projects to share, but it seems like we never get our camera out to document those... That will be one of my summer goals.

I hope you're enjoying this amazing spring weather. I know I am. Be blessed and be a blessing today!

Roommate Dinner

2012-04-16T11:13:00.000-05:00

25th and Skillern acquired a couple new roommates! No, not Eloise (I wish!).... Mandy and Erika moved in recently, and it has been amazing. We so love the positive atmosphere they brought along with them. I don't think a day goes by where we're all not cracking up together. Like last night when Erika, Kev, and I were hiding under the kitchen bar waiting for Mandy to come in so we could surprise her... It was unsuccessful, but still hilarious. Such a joy, I tell ya!
A new routine we started was Roommate Dinner. Four nights a week (one night for each of us), each of us cooks a meal for the rest of the roommates. Not only is it cheaper for all of us, but there's just something healthy and good about eating with other people. It's nourishing for the spirit and the body.
Last Friday, Mandy made such a delicious dinner: sauteed mushrooms and squash with bow-tie pasta accompanied by garlic bread and Caesar salad. Yum! Sadly, I didn't get many pictures of the meal, but I did manage to get lots of other random pictures that happened during meal time.

Eloise approves!

Mandy enjoys her favorite treat, lemon cookies!

Say cheese!

Tonight is my night to cook. I'm thinking spinach lasagna. Mmmmm.... Happy Monday!

Funny Faces

2012-04-09T09:35:00.003-05:00

It's so good to be back here on the blog! I only have a minute today to post, so I thought I'd start off with a bang. Can you think of a better way to begin your week than looking at weird people trace their faces in a mirror?
Lots of great changes happening around 25th and Skillern - I can't wait to share more later! But for now, I'm off to coffee with a great friend.... Be blessed and be a blessing today!

Rainy Day Poetry

2012-02-15T15:06:00.000-06:00

Today, I thought I'd share a few of the gems that Brandon has written for his poetry assignments this past week. It's been so fun seeing his thoughts come out on paper. Pure creativity!
I think The Electric Sky is my favorite.

The Sounds of my Everyday World
Listen! Do you hear...someone
coming near it sounds like a creek
babbling wait it should be my cat

Wobbling he likes to meow and also
he likes to make the sound "cuppow."

Wobbling can roar like a lion and
pour water into a fountain like a human.

The Electric Sky
Lightning is like electricity from

the sky. Usually when it goes on my
mom makes apple pie. When I climb

a mountain that looks really high
I'm going to sigh but when I look up
I always see the electric sky.

Earsplitting Roar
I once saw an immeasurable cat
that was orange and black.
It's earsplitting roar could scare a bat
it made my ears crack.

Sigh, it's the weekend.

2012-02-10T19:18:00.001-06:00

I'm sorry all I post is pictures these days. By the time I sit down to actually write something, my mind turns to mush and I can't even remember how to spell "write" (seriously, I just spelled it "right"). These pictures were taken during art and literature yesterday. B is so fun to photograph.
Tonight, T is celebrating his 13th birthday at 25th and Skillern. He has 4 friends over for the night. They are currently fattening up on pizza, air heads, and Coke (the legal kind). So as you can imagine, I am locking myself in my bedroom for the evening, but not before I steal 10 pieces of candy and the whole 2 liter of Mountain Dew for my own personal party.
Have a great weekend! I hear there is snow in the forecast...dang meteorologists better be right.

Cut it out.

2012-02-02T20:14:00.000-06:00

Sometimes your husband asks you to give him a haircut. You gladly oblige. The results, in my case, were very pleasing. Dang, my man cleans up good.

Cowboy Up: A Weekend in Pictures

2012-01-30T17:59:00.000-06:00

When in Stillwater, ya know?

Skateboarding, bro.

2012-01-26T12:58:00.000-06:00

So glad Kev gets to come home for lunch and skateboard with B for a bit. Pop shuvits, anyone?

Let's move to the mountains...

2012-01-22T19:54:00.001-06:00

Let's be honest for one second...is there anything greater than receiving a painting for a gift from/made by your best friend? The answer is "no...there isn't." Mandy at MandytheOutfitter gave this painting to Kev and I today. She was very apologetic that it wasn't on time for Christmas, but I say who gives a crap cause it's awesome. She knows just how much I love the mountains.
I don't think I really need to elaborate on how beautiful this mixed media painting is, because the pictures speak for themselves. If you don't know Mandy, you should because she's one of the most wonderful people ever, and then you should commission a painting from her. You'll love it.

"I don't really want you to move to the mountains, though." -Mandy
Don't worry, Mandy. We won't anytime soon. But if we do, I'm taking you with us.

Goofing off... Homeschool Edition

2012-01-18T14:05:00.001-06:00

Sometimes you just need a dang break from school. KnowwhatImean?

It's been a long time.

2012-01-12T10:39:00.000-06:00

Hello Blogger world!

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I have written on here. Quite frankly, I was enjoying my two week vacation from homeschooling too much to do anything productive. It was nice to push pause for a while. But life has resumed to normal again, and I'm actually not feeling as stressed anymore. God's peace is an infinitely amazing thing to experience, don't you agree?

We got snow in Tulsa last night. I was so excited to see those white flakes falling in the glow of my porch light. While it wasn't enough for a snow day (do we even get those while homeschooling???) I am hoping it's a sign of more to come.

The weekend is almost here, and I couldn't be more excited. Kevin and I will hopefully make some major progress on the basement bathroom. I need to post some pictures of that sometime... But for now I'll leave you with cute pictures of Brandon and Nikoo.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

2011-12-16T11:29:00.003-06:00

I don't know if we'll ever be able to take a serious family photo. Oh well. Ladies and Gents, today is Friday, and I'm super excited because B and I only have 3 more days of school left next week before break! Woo hoo!! I am so excited to relax, spend time with family, eat a lot of good food, and reflect on the goodness of my Lord for sending his sweet son to this earth for our redemption.

Living in America, it's hard to remember what Christmas is truly about. I encourage you to re-think how you're spending your money this holiday season, and give more from the heart to those who are without. Here is a great blog post about re-imagining Christmas with tons of helpful and eye-opening links about how you can spend your money ethically and benefit those across the map.

Also, have you heard of Advent Conspiracy? Check it out! Did you realize we [Americans] spend 450 BILLION dollars (yes, billion with a B) on Christmas every year? Every. Year. Isn't that just ridiculous? And we could help solve the world's clean water crisis with 20 billion dollars a year. Does that make sense to anyone? I encourage you to donate to clean water organizations such as WaterIsLife. They provide filtration straws for those without clean water that last for up to 1 year, while working to create a more permanent water supply in impoverished nations. Cool, huh?

It's time to make a change, so let's start with Christmas! I hope you all have such a wonderfully blessed holiday season. Now, where is that snow??

On Making Potato Chips

2011-12-06T17:46:00.001-06:00

Kevin has been into "cooking" lately. I'm quite excited at the idea of not having to make every meal all the time. His first cooking endeavor was homemade potato chips. The directions seemed simple enough for him to follow: slice potatoes thinly, dip in oil, lay on cookie sheet, bake on 400 degrees until edges curl up. I sadly don't have a picture of the finished product (Kevin ate them all). They turned out a little crispy - but that's alright. The first time is just a trial and error kind of experience. And they were much better without any kind of seasoning at all. Way to go, Kevy! You're one step closer to gourmet cooking.

And a picture of Nikoo in the tree for good measure. Happy Wednesday!

A Weekend in Pictures

2011-11-27T22:30:00.001-06:00

I am so sad this break is coming to an end tonight. But I had a wonderful break filled with lots of family time, sleeping in, crafting, and movie watching. Tomorrow it's back to teaching B, working, and the boring chores around the house... only 3 weeks til Christmas break. Woo hoo!
I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving break! Isn't there so much to be thankful for?

DIY Colored Ornaments

2011-11-17T16:30:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you want to have a color theme for your Christmas tree. Or maybe you don't, but let's pretend you do for right now. So you're thinking to yourself, "Man, I just can't find the right color ornaments for my tree anywhere without spending out the wazoo." or "Gosh, I really hate hot pink and purple glitter! Why is it on every Christmas ornament?"
Wouldn't it be great if you could just buy some clear ornaments and dump a paint color of your choice inside and transform that lifeless, colorless ornament into something totally beautiful?

You can!! And I'm going to show you just how to do it. It's cheap and so super easy.

Step one: Purchase clear ornaments and craft paint of your choice.
(I got all my supplies at Michael's for around 7 dollars. 12 ornaments and 3 paints.)

Step 2: Take top off ornament and pour in paint.

Step 3: Swirl paint all around until it covers up the inside.

Add more paint if necessary.

Step 4: Allow your ornaments to dry a little before putting the top back on.
*EDIT* I forgot to mention, let these dry upside down, perhaps resting on a thumbtack in a piece of wood. It allows the paint to drip out and not settle to one side of your ornament.
Once dry, put tops back on, hang on tree, and admire how awesome an artist you are!

Do you have any DIY holiday crafts you'll be doing this year?

Too Soon?

2011-11-17T09:45:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure what the technical rules are for the day you can set up your Christmas tree, but I took the liberty of setting mine up yesterday. Is that so bad? I'm really enjoying the new atmosphere in the living room. There's just something about white Christmas lights...

The House Journey

2011-11-14T15:11:00.001-06:00

Hello friends! To your surprise, this blog is not coming from Adrienne today, but from her husband, Kevin! We originally planned on doing this blog together, but I dropped the ball and so far it's just been her.. Anyhow, I'm excited to make my first post on here. A great mile marker happened in our home renovating project last month. I finally finished the spare bedroom, pretty much completing the main level of our house! Now all that's left is the basement. It's crazy to look a year back and see how far we've come. Not only with renovating, but with changes in life. When we first moved in here, things in life, including this house, had Adrienne and I at odds. It was a dark time with many struggles. "This house is from the devil!" I said, demanding that we just finish the renovating and move out asap. In recent months, not only has God proved that this house is not "from the devil", but in fact that this is God's house. This has become a place of community, a meeting place for prayer, a space with all kinds of possibilities to seek and live into His kingdom. This may not be where we saw ourselves a year ago, and who knows how long we'll be here, but it's where God has us right now, and it's been a great journey. Here's a couple before and after pics of the spare bedroom.

No more popcorn ceiling! Thank goodness. If you are going through some hard times, ask God for help, call on Him, wait on Him, get into the word, He is there and He will work in amazing ways in your life. He can turn around any situation to work for His good. Thanks for reading!

Daydreaming...(yes, again)

2011-11-10T10:15:00.000-06:00

Today I am daydreaming about snow. Piles and piles of snow outside my window. Sitting on my couch with a view out our picture window. I always wanted a picture window, and now I have one. I am excited to put my Christmas tree in front of it, and turn the twinkling lights on, and watch the snow fall.
Boy, I hope we get snow this winter.

Picture taken from Tumblr

Stillness

2011-11-03T09:44:00.001-05:00

This week, our small group is doing an experiment of stillness in prayer. I am anxious/excited about that. Excited, as my soul is so craving this alone time with the Lord, but I'm anxious because I haven't spent time alone in so long (or really ever, if I think about it). What if God actually does something in those 20 minutes of silence with Him? Scary, right? I'm so thankful for getting to experience this kind of thing along side others, though.
Things around 25th and Skillern are so busy! But busy in the best way possible. Several months ago, Kev and I thought this house was pretty much a curse. We hated it here. We asked God to help us use this house for His glory...and He has done just that. More times than not, there's always friends or family over. We have an amazing roommate, Melissa. There's prayer nights. There's dancing nights There's Halloween parties. Most importantly, God is here. It's so refreshing to get the focus off us and the house and its problems and onto those who come into it and how we can bless them.
Hope you all have a great week and weekend. I'll leave you with some pictures from our Halloween party on Monday.

L-R: horn girl, Egyptian goddess, pink haired rock and roll girl, sugar skull

Asian tourist and a woopie cushion

woopie, greaser, hipster mummy

Jamie, me, Julienne, Erika (beautiful zombie princess)

"Do a Ollie"

2011-10-18T21:44:00.001-05:00

   I have recently started helping my mom home-school my little brother, Brandon. She will drop him off around 8:30 every morning, and he's here until about 2:30 or 3:00. It's been quite a challenge, as I've never been keen on teaching things to other people. It has already been such a good test for patience, but also very rewarding because I get to see certain subjects "click" with him.
   That's not the only benefit, though. According to Oklahoma state law, he must have 45 minutes of physical activity logged in each day. Since Kevin and I don't really have a lot of "play stuff" for Brandon, he brought his bike and skateboard over. We have started riding bikes around my neighborhood (it is so fun, and I am so out of shape!). And when Kevin is home from work, he will skateboard with B.
   Yesterday, Kev and I were sitting on the front porch talking while B was messing around on his skateboard when all of a sudden we heard, "I did it!!!" Brandon landed his first ollie. How awesome is that? I am so proud of him! Needless to say, the rest of that p.e. time was taken up with doing ollies and Kev taking pictures of the ollies.
   I love seeing my siblings get really excited about their accomplishments. Keep it up, Brandon! You're going to be the next Tony Hawk.

(For those who don't know what an ollie is, you can watch a video here.)

My Garden Loot: An Update

2011-10-13T16:33:00.000-05:00

My garden hasn't been faring very well. Want to know why? Because I got tired of being its keeper. Isn't that sad? Carelessness [laziness] aside, my okra plants are still doing phenomenal. I can't even keep up with them. Most of these okra pictured are probably too big to eat, but it's still rewarding to pick them.
This is probably one of the last cantaloupe I'll harvest for this year. I didn't plan very well this summer, so I had a bug invasion that took over my squash and a majority of melons. Oh well, trial and error.

Much to my surprise, my tomato plants are actually growing tomatoes now, and my jalapeno plant has a little guy on it, so we'll see if those turn in to anything good...or edible.

In other news, I'm so looking forward to busting out my slow cooker this week and making soup. Tis the season. Yum!

More later,
A

(A very happy 50th birthday to my sweet momma today!)

Day Dreaming

2011-10-06T11:56:00.000-05:00

Today, I am daydreaming about opening up my front door and finding this outside. Wouldn't that be just a magical thing to look at from your porch every morning? I picture myself wearing a huge cable knit sweater, slowly drinking a hot tea, and sitting in a cedar rocking chair on my front (or back) porch of my log cabin...Ah..
A girl can dream, right?