relaunch!

Can I tell you a story? 
Last year, we were in the hospital with Glory's epilepsy and I noticed a large amount of people were sharing Psalm 46:5 with us. It's a beautiful passage and I was just super blessed by it. 


One night when we were in the PICU and Glory was resting, I started making this "print" of it, only I didn't know it was a print. I was just kind of playing on the computer. 
This is what happened: 

A week or so later, at the encouragement of a few friends, I listed a few of these in an Etsy shop I'd created years ago without using. I blogged about it (naturally), and what do you know?! I sold a few! Thank you Jesus! 


Nick and I kept saying, "How cool would it be if we sold 100 this year?!".
Ha. The truth is, we had no clue what we were doing. 
No clue the best way to print them, market them, design them, schedule time to run this business. And as the year went on, and we eventually sold something like 1200 prints before the year was up, we were blessed AND overwhelmed. 


And now, we're in this whole new season - where the Etsy Shop is a big part of our family and Nick is spending a good portion of time helping me whip it into shape. We're taking the quality of the design, printing, customer service, etc, EVERYTHING seriously and really trying to bless others with these goodies. 

And so - I give to you.....

the Naptime Diaries relaunch. 

Without much more talk, I'll start showing you really quickly what is new in the shop. 

#1. We've made it easier to order. 
Clearer product descriptions, easier custom order process, easier custom colors, easier buy three get one free ordering! 


#2. We've introduced a whole new set of products. 

After a lot of encouragement from friends and a lot of dreaming and doodling on my part, I've released the first three pieces in a new collection of mixed media prints that contain digital design and my own hand-drawn design. These things are so sweet printed and I hope you guys will just LOVE them. 

love these two newbies! psalm 46:5 and happy the home

#3. We've marked a LOT on sale. 
I want to start carrying around 30 prints at all times, so I have a good amount of designs that need to get shuffled out. Now, in the sale section of the shop, you'll find a lot more prints and once they're gone, they're gone! 


#4. You know we've got a coupon code! 
You can't have a shop relaunch without a coupon code. For the next week, I'd love for you guys to enjoy using the code RELAUNCH for 25% off everything in the shop! New prints, old prints, sale prints, custom prints, large poster prints - you name it! 


Most of all, i just want to say thanks. 
I am so thankful for each of our customers and friends and blog readers.
Thank you for loving our family and our little family business and spreading the word about this relaunch!

Now!!! Go enjoy that coupon code:) 

the one that kept going.

That sale I started in my shop a few weeks ago? 
The one to help you get new scripture prints all over your home
to start 2012 off right?
That one?
It's still going on. 

Use coupon code NEWYEAR at checkout for
30% off your entire order.
On everything. 
Because I love the idea of more of us having 
more and more scripture in our home in 2012. 


And while we're at it, 
How about a few new prints to get 
with that big ol' discount? 

Praying you all are having a wonderful Wednesday!
Visit the shop today for some goodies! 

new prints & His good word.

Do you ever make an outfit in the morning that feel so right and so good and then all of a sudden at noon, you realize maybe it doesn't fit as well as you thought or it just doesn't match like you thought it does? It's kind of a bummer right? 

first corinthians fifteen ten

Sometimes blogging feels like that. It's not a book or a paper that you can edit and be done with. It's not a painting that you can finish. It's an ongoing work of representation. That changes & gets off track and gets ahead of you and blah, blah, blah. I'm not trying to be super existential about blogging :), just saying, sometimes it gets away from you and you have to sort of shake your head and ask the Lord, "what is it we were trying to do again?". 

john sixteen twenty two

All that said, I want ya'll to know. It's not just a business benefit that I get to "advertise" about my business on this blog and it's not just a good gimmick that I make scripture prints. 
I really love God's word. It is living and active and good and exciting and convicting and worth reading and memorizing and treasuring. Amen?

acts twenty twenty four

And I count it a serious joy to get to make art from it and sell it inexpensively so others can have it too. And every once in a while, I get caught up in a little rapture of making prints and I'm reminded all over again why I love this blog & shop so much. What a blessing to get to participate in this. 

john one sixteen

And on that note, 
I've added a few new prints to the shop and I'm adding even more today!
And in an attempt to keep the shop fresh, I've marked down TONS of prints to $6. 
Once those sell, I won't sell those prints any more, just keep adding new ones!
I've scattered a few of the new ones throughout this post, but here are just a few of the ones that are half off!

AND because I want you guys to have new scripture all over your house as 2012 starts, just like I want to have scripture all over my house - 
please, oh please use coupon code NEW YEAR for 
30% everything when you check out. 


I'm thankful for the blog world and for God's word that is living & active and moving in us today. I hope you guys have an amazing Thursday! 

a Shabby Apple giveaway!

Merry-day-after Christmas!

I hope you’re enjoying family and friends and fires and hearts warmed by Jesus! I wish I could give every Naptime Diaries reader ever a gift, but I’ll do the best I can and just link up with Shabby Apple for a wonderful jewelry giveaway!

I love everything about Shabby Apple. I love how their clothing is tastefully and well made, and it seems to fit the needs of women from their teenage years till they’re having teenagers of their own. And their jewelry is just beautiful and intricate and each piece tells such a sweet story.

And “the year of the ring” post got me thinking.

Us ladies/mamas/daughters/sisters/aunts/students/women can so often benefit from just a little precious trinket. And Shabby Apple agrees. So together we’re giving away this beautiful necklace. Because hopefully your loved ones tucked something under the tree that says “you are LOVED” but just in case, here is one more thing.

Here’s how you enter to win this Light as a Feather necklace!

1. To enter the giveaway, the only thing you MUST do is like Shabby Apple on facebook. Like them on facebook & then tell me the best present you gave/received this year! (Also please include your email address in this comment)

For additional entries, you can do the following. 

One entry for each thing. 

2. Follow Shabby Apple on twitter. 

3. Follow yours truly on twitter. 

4. Tweet/facebook about this giveaway saying something like this: 

Come on over and enter to win a sweet post-Christmas gift from @shabbyapple and @naptimediaries! http://www.naptimediaries.com

Please leave a separate comment for each entry & leave your email address in at least one comment! The giveaway will run through Thursday at 5pm and I'll announce the winner on Friday! 

I hope you all had the merriest of days celebrating Jesus. 

I can't wait to talk all about it. 

something for everybody.

Is anyone else buried in a pile of gifts still left to wrap?
Just us? 
I have a love & hate relationship with Kraft paper.


Two quick things for you:
If you need a list minute gift card, I'm your girl. 
I can either email your gift recipient or you with a printable gift card to wrap on up! 
More details here. 

And secondly, 
I have a few sponsor spots left for January AND I released a new sponsor size plus some month bundle deals. 
Here are the new details on that: 

Ok, back to the kraft paper. 
It's almost Christmas! 
Woo-hoo! 

Shannon. She's kind of adorable.

If this post doesn't make you want to go to Shannon's house and make baklava with her, I don't know what will. She is PRECIOUS. I'm going to settle for reading her blog. 

Hi! My name is Shannon from The Scribble Pad. I am thrilled to be here on Naptime Diaries. I am a wife and momma but first and formost, a daughter of Christ. I am so glad to be here sharing with you all, and hope to continue to see you all around blog-land and maybe even real life!

My Grandmothers

My grandmom was a florist and a gardener. As a little girl, I would sit in her shop and watch as she magically arranged flowers. We would wake up early on the weekend and ride to churches to decorate for weddings, me in the back of the van holding the buckets from tipping over. It is with my grandmother that I began to travel. She hosted all of the family parties. From her I gained my taste for all things savory, strong cheeses, the benefits of wine, and my appreciation of fresh seafood.

grandmom holding me, my son makes this very same face!

My Yia-yia taught me our family favorite recipes. To this day, I cannot bake a cake, but I can spend days making Greek pastries and feel her next to me as I pour the butter and roll the phyllo dough. I can make these by heart, feeling for the measurements but still insist on reading her scrawl, half in English, half in Greek, and measured in mug-fulls. As I dance around our apartment with Behr, it is because this is what Yia-yia did with us, we sang, and danced, and laughed.

Yia-yia when we were making baklava for my wedding.

And then another grandmother came into my life. My cousin’s grandmother. She asked me about books, taught me about letter writing, and gave me my first calligraphy pen when I was just in elementary school.

Fast forward 20+ years and here I am, doing calligraphy and coordinating weddings, sending 200+ Christmas cards each year, and opening my etsy shop of hand-stamped note cards, so you too can share the joy of letter writing with those you love. Even up until a few years ago, I never would have imagined how significantly all three of these women would have impacted my life.

As I have plunged into motherhood, I am reminded of my own mother. I cannot even begin to name the ways she has and continues to bless me and teach me. But what I am most grateful for is that she allowed these three strong women, my “grandmothers,” to come along side her and help.

She didn’t always agree with everything they said or did; I know this now. But she guarded me from any animosity. She let these women come into my life and mold and shape me.

It is not always easy to let others impact your children. I wrestle with this daily. But I am reminded by the incredible impact that others can have. And so I pray that our family is surrounded by the blessings that helped raise me.

Thanks so much for reading my story.

If you want to chat about this or other journeys of motherhood,

feel free to contact me

or drop me a question on formspring.

Thanks again for having me Jessi dear!

xo Shannon

introducing Annabelle

Happy Saturday before Christmas friends!

I hope your day is filled with lots of fun and family and joy about Jesus. 

I am also so honored to introduce you to Annabelle. 

She has one of my favorite shops on Etsy and a blog that you can't help but love. 

Enjoy her! 

..........

Hi fellow readers of Jessi's blog, I'm Annabelle and write over at hohumdiddly.  Like many of us, I think, it started as a place to show grandparents and friends our little man, his rolls and dimples and various baby to now toddler-boy antics.  But sometime last year, it became a place for me to think out and write out what God has been doing in my life and the life of my family.  There is still a lot of my sweet boy's face shining about the blog, and I do think he is the best.  But the focus has shifted.  It has been a little scary giving voice to some years full of groaning and heart-work still going on;  but I know that the Lord has pressed on me to share, mostly so I will sit down and do the work of looking at Him and not just busying myself with sweeping the lessons He has for me under that ever-famous rug. (and I like commas and semi-colons, apparently) 

Anyway, there are a few things that get mentioned here and there throughout the blog.  One of those, is my husband's health.  Really, our journey with Epilepsy and Crohn's disease is too convoluted and bogged down with medical jargon to sum up in a blog post, but suffice it to say, God is in control and He is good and gracious to love us in our sadness and anger, confusion and joy. 

And so, right now, this very day, I am learning to live.  I am learning to be a human alive in Christ; which right now, means I am acutely aware of my sin but empowered to move in Christ.  And one of those ways I am able to move is by reading His word.  It is something that I neglected and even resented at times, but the Lord has given me a fresh, spring-like love for Him and His word.  Yesterday, I was reading Psalm 84 and verse1-2 shot into me and lodged.  "How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!  My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." 

And those 2 verses have so much in them!  I can't possible unpack it all, but obviously the second verse feels like it was written just for me.  Because the past years have been full of yearning and just getting through, but this week has felt like that too.  This week, 3 year oldness has been grating on me, our recycling pile has sprouted hair and started talking back to me and the floor is covered in a beautiful array of crunched up goldfish and whatever we have been eating for dinner.  And it has been driving me to the point of feeling a little more than just edgy.  But I read those words, those life-giving words and at one point I am ashamed and in the next instant, or really in the same one, my heart is full to bursting with praise and thankfulness.  Thankful that God, the Lord Almighty, Emmanuel, God with us knows me and understands.  And thankful that He is so much bigger and stronger than busyness.  Thankful that he gives me eyes to see Him, but also the practical knowledge of simply what to do next.  And so, this morning as I sat on the couch and almost got overcome with our day and weekend plans, I remembered.  Him.  I cry out for the living God and He is here.  In our apartment, on the couch, living in me!  Halleluiah! Emmanuel!

you don't want to miss this (oh, and a VLOG)

If you didn't watch that whole vlog, well - shame on you.
Just kidding. 
Totally. 


Here's what you missed:
1. I have a new product in the shop! So excited to share it with ya'll. These prints are totally customizable and they're great for EVERYONE. 
If you've ever loved/prayed for/missed/ a loved one or city, these are sweet. 

2. BLACK FRIDAY SALE IS ON NOW. 
30% off in my shop through December 5th, last sale till Christmas. 
Use coupon code BLACKFRIDAY & ENJOY! 
3. Order advent cards through the weekend to makes sure you get them by December 1st and I'm taking custom orders up till December 16th. And all other things ordered by December 18th can most likely get to your home by Christmas! 


I'm thankful for ya'll. 
And so much more. 
Treasure those families this week.
Thank Him who gives all the good gifts. 

BLESS YOUR LIFE.

Real quick. 
I want to let these ladies bless your life today. 
First - so many of your ordered advent calendars yesterday and I'm so excited to celebrate "with" you! If you didn't get it quick girl, I want to ship it in time! 
Now, on to letting these ladies bless your life. 


1. You know Ellen. Handmade Recess Ellen. Sashes Ellen. One of my best friends Ellen. 
She is reopening her shop today and I CANNOT WAIT. When I sit in her living room, I see the goodies piling up in her studio. You don't want to miss this. Check it out. 
2. Sidney from Recitherapy is my longtime friend and new blogger. 
Her food/lifestyle blog is a daily fave. 
I'm making her cookies today. Hooray!
3. Rachel from 4 Reasons is another long time friend/family-friend and I am so blessed by her new Norwex business. I've just started using Norwex products and I like anything that is green, clean, and GREAT. 
4. Moriah is a gem of an internet friend and I'm so honored to be featured on her site today. Please make Moriah a daily internet visit (if she isn't already). 
5. Audrey from Courage & Curls is a precious friend and COURAGEOUS writer. You will be blessed by reading her words today.
6. Last, but NOT least, April has a cute, cute, cute blog that will make your day. 
In my head, I call her "A" and pretend we're besties.
Is that okay, A? 

advent, advent!

Hey guys!

I am so excited to share something with 

ya'll today that has been a serious undertaking 

and I hope it will be as fun for you as it is for me. 

I'll preface it with: 
we're big on the Advent around here. I'll talk more about how we celebrate as it gets closer - but in a nutshell, we go big the 24 days leading up to Christmas and do a lot of fun things and a lot of sweet things that basically help our family build tradition and really pump our kids up about the blessing that is Jesus being born. Some days we do biblically centered things, somedays we do just silly fun things, but each day during the month of December - we try to set aside some sort of time to focus on celebrating the gift we have in Him. 


Sooooo.... last year I made an advent calendar! 
It was a huge labor of love but it was such a blessing for our family. I have no really good pictures of it, but it was essentially a banner with a small mini-print for each day of advent. On the back of it, I wrote a fun activity/bible reading/project/craft/outing and each day - the kids got to take down the corresponding print for the day and find out what fun thing we had in store! And it was pretty! And it blessed our home!

And thus. I want to share it with ya'll. I present: 

The 2011 Naptime Diaries Advent Calendar! 

There are 25 mini prints (3x4.2) all decorated in eclectic styles & colors. There is something for EVERY style here. Whether you like formal, traditional, modern, whimsical - there is something for everyone! And you can do WHATEVER you want with them. 


I'll be hanging mine as a banner again, 
but you could could get creative!
Here are some ideas: 
- Tie them on your Christmas tree as ornaments
- Put one in an envelope each day for your family to open
- Write a different person to pray for on each day's card.
- Hide them around the house and let the kids find them each day! 
- Do whatever you want! 

Either way - it is my JOY to share them with you. 
You can get them in two forms: 
- I can professionally print them for you and trim them and send them to your door in plenty of time for December 1st if you purchase them here. 
- OR I can email you five high resolution word documents (containing 5 prints each) for you to print yourself at home,  you purchase them here. 
It's totally up to you!


I hope these are a blessing to you! 
Enjoy! 

meet Amanda

Hey guys! I am so thrilled to introduce you to Amanda from Royal Daughter Designs today!

Enjoy!

............
1. Hi, Amanda! Tell us about yourself & your family!

I want to tell you lovely things about myself:
That I am a wife – in love with a man whom I love so much it hurts.
That I am a first time mom to three foster boys – trying to leave a mark on the lives of three impressionable souls.
That I am a Christ Follower – broken clay in the Potter’s hands.
That I am a creative mind – desperate for more time to create.

But the real me…
The real me is so much more complex than that. The real me is a wife who fails miserably at selflessly loving my husband.
The real me is scared out of my mind and wonders what we were thinking when we agreed to invite a 10, 11, and 15 year old into our home.
The real me can never live a life worthy of the name “Christian.” I fail daily to let Him mold me into the person He wants me to be, all the while trying so hard to be who I want me to be.
The real me longs for more time to create, not because there are not enough hours in a day, but because I am terrible at time management.
I am a country girl, completely enamored with the quiet, simple life of porch swings and hay fields. I am a little too in love with my 14 year old black lab, whom I've had for nearly 1/2 of my life. I bite my finger nails, not out of habit, but because they annoy me when they get too long and I'm too lazy to go find nail clippers. I have been very sick, and am learning to take responsibility for my own health. I'd rather snuggle and cuddle with my husband than go on a date. And when our foster boys tell me, "I love you Miss Amanda," I have to hold the tears back.

2. Would you tell us more about your blog & business?
Royal Daughter Designs began in September (the same month our foster boys arrived) after many of my friends, both in real life and blogging friends, encouraged me to turn my hobby into a business. For several years I've been doing blog designing for friends and family, and in September the Lord opened the door for my to stay home and make RDD a full-time, work-from-home business.

This is one of my favorite {premium} premade designs

Since I have a personal blog, I keep Royal Daughter Designs strictly professional. I share tutorials, so my readers can tweak their own designs while they're saving up for a custom design. *wink wink* I sometimes share about things that inspire me, both in blog land and in real life. I've recently stepped way out of my comfort zone and started blogging about fashion, or my lack there of - it is still "to be determined." (Don't worry, I'm actually  being true to myself, I just jumped on the WIWW band wagon. And since I do wear clothes, I can legitimately say that I'm being true to myself!) And every once in a while I throw in a freebie printable too.


On November 21 I will be starting a brand new, just in time for the holidays series. Christmas Ornament Countdown will feature 30 days of handmade Christmas ornaments and holiday decorations. The best part? YOU can be a part of it! Not only will there be weekly linky parties, but I also have several guest spots available. All the details are right here.



If you want to get to know the real me, check out my personal blog, DAES of Our Lives.







3. What has surprised you most about this life?
You know the proverb, "Man plans his plans, but his steps are ordered by the Lord?" (Proverbs 16:9) I memorized that verse as a child, but the depth of meaning never sunk in until I reached adulthood.

10 years ago I was in college. When I imagined my life in ten years it looked like this:
Married, of course. To a minister. What good Christian girl at Bible college doesn't want to get married to a good godly guy in the ministry?
I imagined I'd have 3 or 4 kids by now. Probably home schooling the oldest. I imagined that I'd find so much joy in cooking and baking, maybe venture into sewing. (Yep, I really did envision myself  being a carbon copy of my mom.)
But life is SO much different. My husband graduates next month with his PhD in Theology and Church History. I'm a graduate student studying Church Ministries, and though he is a minister, he's not pastoring right now. He's a professor at a seminary, where together we have a great ministry - but very different from what I imagined.
We have three boys. Ages 10, 11, and 15. They were not born from my body, but they are definitely born in my heart. I've never carried a baby in my womb, but I daily carry three rough and tumble boys in my heart.
I don't like cooking, or baking, or sewing. I love when my family likes my cooking, but I don't love cooking. And I don't even own a sewing machine, and so far my husband has patched all of his jeans and sewed on all missing buttons.

I occasionally take photos of myself in the kitchen just to prove that I do spend time in there.

So while I imagined life very differently from how it turned out, I absolutely love the life that Yahweh, the King of Heaven, has ordered for me.

4. What is something that you're so passionate about it keeps you up at night?
I am passionate about our boys. Their mom is deceased, and their dad cannot take care of them right now. They come from a rough background. They've seen and experienced things that are not appropriate for adults, let alone children. Their hearts and souls have been broken, and the wounds are still very fresh.

They each carry a deep, unforgiving pain. You can see it on their face.

They are not random boys that the State of Texas put in our home. We've known them for most of their lives. My husband used to be their pastor, and when they were saved earlier this year they asked him to come back to their church and baptize them.

When we found out that they'd been taken away from their dad and then their grandma, our immediate reaction was to have them come live with us. I believe, without question or doubt, that God put that desire in our hearts.

We're not super man and wonder woman, please don't think that. It has been a struggle, the transition from 6 + years of just us to having 3 broken boys in our home has been difficult. But I am passionate about training them in the ways of the Lord. Teaching them His Word. Loving them unconditionally. And setting an example of what godly manhood and womanhood looks like in real life.

5. What is your creative process like when you design?
I love to ask my customers what it is that they're looking for. I usually ask them to send me 3-5 blog designs that they LOVE, and for them to tell me what it is they love about each design.

I ask them if their blog has a theme, and if they have a particular color scheme in mind. If I follow the inspiration that they provide, they are usually super happy.

As I browse blog land, I take screen shots of certain aspects that I absolutely love, and I save those in an "inspiration" folder. Then about a week later I go back and analyze what I love about it, and if I still have the overwhelming "AHH! I love this!!" feeling, I keep the screen shot for future reference. If that feeling is more like, "Aww, that's cute." I usually send it to the recycle bin.

image source

I have an unhealthy obsession with fonts, so I sometimes spend literally hours making random blog headers with new fonts that I've never used before. Every now and then one of those random headers ends up being perfect for a customer.

I also love perusing design-seeds.com and picking out color schemes that make me drool. Okay, not really. But you know what I mean.











Thanks Jessi for having me today, and thank you for reading a little bit about me! I'd love for you to stop by my humble little home on the internet and say hello!

friday fun!

Hey friends!
It's friday!
I'm at home with (most) of my kiddos. 
I've got bread to bake. 
Laundry to do. 
And a weekend full of my man, my family and friends by my side! 
I could not be more excited. 
.... except that I'm also SUPER excited to show you some new things I have in the shop. 


I had two dilemmas: 
#1. My kids room's needed some new wall art. AND 
#2. I was having a LOT of requests for custom kids wall art. 
The solution - new customizable name prints in the shop! 
Here are the three options, lovingly named after some of my faves:) 

And to make the whole process super simple - you just purchase which design you like. 
In the purchase notes, put your names, birthdates, weights, bible verse, and 
COLOR CHOICE.  

Simple & fun, right? Check them out here. 
I think these would be perfect for Christmas gifts for new parents, baby dedications, baptisms, births, birthdays, or just for decorating your kids room quickly and inexpensively! 


and lastly.... I showed you guys the two blog designs I did a few weeks back? 
I'm in the process of making an official queue, but I'm going to take on TWO new design projects this weekend. If you'd like your blog to be one of those two, email me today for pricing and questions! I'd love to work with you!
Here are the two I just finished!

lovingly thrown 

babEblessings

Hope ya'll have an amazing Friday!
grace & peace friends! 

it's friday so I'll be brief

Have you used coupon code NOVEMBER for 30% off in my shop yet? Why not? 

And while you're there? Maybe you need a Christmas card? Uh, huh. 

I hope ya'll have had a sweet week. 

love love. 

clementine & nellie!

Today I'm thrilled to introduce Brooke,

one of my lovely sponsors.

She writes at from under His feathers

& she sells lovely vintage finds along with

original works of art at Clementine & Nellie.

Hey Brooke! Tell us a little about you!

Hey right back atcha! So, I’m thinking, I am going to share what I really want you to know about me. ☺ So here it goes:
I love Jesus… I’m a mother of three children, ages 11, 3 and 1, my oldest from another crazy life and time, that I may tell you more about someday, and already have some on my blog... My sweet husband’s name is Jason, and he and I have been married for five years... I am a classically trained vocalist, though I’d rather sing blues or jazz any day. I don’t really sing much unless I’m in the car or behind my guitar leading worship, which is actually where I’m happiest… I long for time in nature… and if I go too long without it I kinda freak out. I need to be breathing the crisp North Georgia Mountain air, in the deep woods with the fragrance of evergreen on the air, on the beach with my hair whipping around my head (when I had hair, that is), ya know, stuff like that. It settles me... I get real thrills over stretching a dollar. Like, few things make me happier. But I’d rather pour salt in my eye than coupon. Gawsh! I do use them though… ☺ The other thing that makes me really happy is feeding people. Dinner parties (or any party for that matter) are my fave. I just love to cook (used to have my own baking business, and I still do wedding cakes and stuff on the side) and my Mamaw’s gift of service and hospitality has certainly flowed down to me. There is no greater joy on this Earth for me than to feed someone, and for them to be satisfied… One of the main goals of our 5-10 year plan is to end up with a small farm growing fruits and vegetables and raising small animals. For now, I seasonally square foot garden and love it. It’s so fulfilling! And I learn so much from it… I really, really love chickens. And boots… I’m pretty crunchy. My mother describes me to her friends as an “earth mother”, which is okay with me… I have one tattoo – it’s “ionúin”, which means “beloved” in Gaelic (had it since 1/2005), and my nose has been pierced since April 1999. I want more tattoos, but not more piercings, just so ya know… I am an ENFJ (Myers-Briggs Personality Type), though not too deep in on the E side (extrovert). I am confident in front of a crowd, but put me in the middle of a crowded party, I will find a corner. I have many acquaintances, and very, very few close friends. I loathe talking on the phone, though will do it for hours with the right person at the right time. I have a long lasting love affair with all things vintage… so much so that most of my Etsy inventory is from my own collection. However the more I sell, the more I get to treasure hunt, and I love that too. ☺… We are going through a deep valley right now – it could get deeper, it could get better, not sure. I lost my job September 2009, he lost his July 2010, and we are (hopefully) close or at the bottom of our financial hell… It has tested and tried us and drawn up so much dross, and we are trying to figure out how to navigate it. It is not easy. My oldest son was recently diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome... and that’s all I can think about right now.

Now can you tell us about your sweet blog &
awesome shop? 

"from under His feathers" was started back when I was on maternity leave from the corporate world after having my second child - my daughter Shiloh - in the fall of 2008 to share with the wide world all the things I was experiencing during that time... Fast forward three years, and here I am, able to experience the fullness of what being a stay at home mama to now three children actually entails, after being laid off about a year after she was born. Through my own tenacity, stubbornness and sheer will, have also survived my husband being laid off as well, filling in the gaps by starting up my own small businesses on the side to supplement our income (cupcakes or vintage wares, anyone?). While my man ventures into unknown lands trying to find a career path in the insurance industry, I am determined to make this work; to stay home with my babies come hell or high water while being as resourceful and efficient as possible. I am writing about our life as we navigate this crazy financial downturn and the fear and exhilaration that comes with this uncharted territory. I'm sharing as I venture out and explore new business opportunities (my new Etsy shop, for example), aiming to get better at stretching every facet of a dollar, learning how to parent my little ones and my special needs child , my adventures in the kitchen, my vegetable garden and my faith. I love fashion, photography, natural and simple living, getting my fingernails dirty, and I'm taking it one day at a time. I’d naturally love for you to join me on my journey. ☺

As far as my Etsy shop goes, I’ve been dreaming up what kind of shop I could open there for years… I am pretty crafty and artsy and have this huge vintage collection, and I thought it might be a great avenue for me to sell that stuff, plus any of the artsy/crafty stuff I come up with. I started Clementine & Nellie in September 2011 (named after my grandmothers). Clementine & Nellie is primarily stocked with vintage clothing, jewelry and housewares, but I also am receiving orders for custom art pieces. I’ve made several pieces for around our home and hope to have time to create more to post to sell in the future.

What has surprised you most in this life? 

Man…. Life is HARD!!! That has been the one thing that has surprised me – that life is truly so hard, and doesn’t seem to get easier over time. That being said, I will add that a lot of the difficulty and heartache that leads me to say this is as a result of the bed I made for myself. I didn’t exactly start out my adult life with a lot of wisdom, and that is putting it lightly. I don’t live with regret, but I do struggle with it from time to time and sometimes very intensely. I’ve learned that nothing is really ever handed to you, except by the grace and favor of God, and that where you end up is the cumulative result of all your choices… good choices lead to a good place, bad choices lead to a bad place, consequences and pain. I’ve learned that Jesus wasn’t so passionately and with great frustration trying to deter us from sin because he didn’t want us to have fun, he was trying to save us from pain. The sad part is, most people don’t ever figure this out. Anyway, I’m on a rabbit trail… I am most surprised about how difficult life is… and I realize it’s just the nature of the world and the flesh… and I’ve learned how much love and grace is there for us in spite of it all, which is why my relationship with Jesus is so important to me, even when I fail at keeping Him at the top of my list, I’m always at the top of His. And He wasn’t kidding when he was telling us not to worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow has enough worries and troubles of its own… HELLO!? I really get that now! 

What are you so passionate about that it keeps
you up at night? 

Hmm… what comes to mind at this very moment is whether or not I am being the best mother I can be. And let me tell you honey, I have lots of room for improvement. I think all mothers would say that. I am pretty hard on myself, maybe justifiedly so, or not. I feel a lot of guilt about letting my daughter watch too much TV, not loving on my oldest son enough, whether or not he is going to really hate me when he is older or if he feels replaced by the younger two. I feel like I could be doing so much more with them – playing more, doing less around the house, “working” less. I have this awful feeling that I am going to see them grow up and have so much regret about not playing more with them instead of worrying about how clean the house is. This truly keeps me up at night.

What would you suggest someone buy their loved
one FROM YOUR SHOP for Christmas:)?

Hmmm… well, I guess you’d have to look around my shop to see what I have. Not everyone appreciates vintage stuff – especially old people! Ha! I have a lot of outerwear, clothing (baby clothes, too), and housewares for sale. If you have someone who would appreciate any kind of throwback to the 60s or 70s, then I am sure I can hook you up! Or if you have someone who would appreciate an original, whimsical, mixed medium piece with pretty flowers, birds, and such, I can do that too! Take a look at some of my art pieces and let me know if I can make something pretty for your loved one!