Africa in my home.

I knew when I got home from Africa that I never, ever wanted to forget what God had worked out in me while I was there (and as I prepared to go). It changed my heart, my soul and my mind. Only if you've been can you fully understand that it gets in your soul.

So while the pictures below are of animals/scenery, it reminds me of greater sifting the Lord did within me. The thorn pictures, well, that's the kind of bush they used to make Jesus' crown.

A creative friend of mine made the collage below helping me think through which images I should include (I took like 700) and how to place them. I was soooo wowed and thankful for his help!

So this:


Turned into this:

Mississippi Children's Museum

This morning I was asked to join a client at the MS Children's Museum press conference and party. I have heard so much about this Museum from my sister-in-law, but really didn't know how cool it would be.

My first encounter with the Museum was at Mistletoe. Out of all of the vendors/stores, I stopped at their booth, begging them to let me buy this really cool toy they had. I just knew my niece and nephew would LOVE it (as would I). But they weren't for sale yet --- drats.

Needless to say, my interest was definitely perked for them -- they had such a cool, educational toy...and this morning, I was wowed. I felt like a kid as I went through each of the areas. I even fished for catfish (working with hand/eye coordination) with a 10yo. YES.

Here are a few more pictures for a sneak peak. Please go support this place. It's amazing!

My point exactly.

This week, aside from last night, I haven't gotten home until 10:00 every night. So when I get home at 10:00, I eat dinner, watch 30 minutes of TV, shower and by this time it's around 11:30. At this point, I'm crawling in bed, hopeful to be asleep by midnight. I've had to be at work early two of these days, so I've not rested much.

This, my friends, is exactly why I named the blog withallthatfreetime. I woke up this morning (after 8 hours of sleep) feeling like I haven't slept all week. And I haven't. It caught me. Hopeful to have some free time this weekend to work on projects -- but if ever there is a lull in the blog, it's because I have lost all creative juices OR I'm getting home every night at 10:00.

The life of a young busy person. One day I will miss this gogogogo lifestyle.

The white wall.

So I did it. I put stuff up on the white wall. I am pleased. I am sure it will be a working canvas, but for now, it makes me feel like it's somewhat put together.

The middle artwork is Caro drawing on moving paper -- I cut it out and framed it. The two small frames are pictures I took in Africa. The drawing of the man was done when I was in high school, and the small white frame has a verse in it.

A lifelong friend....and answered prayers.

This is my friend AH. We've been friends since the 3rd grade -- and she was my first friend at FPDS and Jackson when my family moved here. We've been through ALOT together -- one of my favorite stories to tell is when two men tried to break in when we were watching cartoons. Needless to say, the cops had to carry me out of the house [I was a HOT MESS].

She and her husband, Tommy, met at my brothers engagement party. Tommy went with me (he was my brother's roommate and like my other brother), and I recognized that they both noticed each other (it was clear there were sparks). Needless to say, they are now married and adopting a baby.

My sweet friend AH has let me walk this road with them. I got to participate in the references, sharing my love for the two of them and supporting this to the maximum. sheesh. I wouldn't have it any other way.

So it's been a great season of waiting for the two of them...until last night...they are adopting a little girl in two weeks (see AH's blog here). So much waiting and out of nowhere God answers the prayers. He moves swiftly and victoriously!

When I got the call last night regarding this, I wept. Hard. It's a story of God's true love and mercy for two of his own. A story of so much pain ultimately leading to the goodness of His heart. A sovereign God planned this perfectly, and many prayers are answered. Cannot wait to meet little ADS! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

A favorite friend.

This is my friend Laura. She is seriously one of my most favorite people. We've known each other for about two years -- served together numerous times, and she's one of those people that God put in my path and our friendship just clicked. I'm a few years older than her (AGE IS JUST A NUMBER PEOPLE), but she is wise beyond her years.

I got to see her Saturday and it truly was such a blessing. Whatever worries, trials, excitements we face, we can ramble on for a few hours, hug each other and know it'll be months, possibly years before we see each other again. But that's okay, because God gave us a sweet friendship, covered by his grace. Find friends like this...they remind you of the transparency and goodness of real friendships.

Extreme Home Makeover.

This is a product of me seeing something really cool on Extreme Home Makeover, pausing the TV and taking a screen shot with my phone.

I have one of these old window panes and this idea rocked my world. Doubt I'll go that extreme, but it's such a cool concept.

Announcements and Invites.

So I know I'm supposed to send out "moved" cards so people know my new address. But because I would rather put money toward my Christmas decorations and I'm really not that organized, an email will suffice.

However, the following "moved" cards are so cute:


Love this one. Totally how I feel right now:


And even though this is totally against all social rules for a nonmarried to put up anything to deal with weddings (who really cares anyway), I saw these darling wedding invitations. My great friend and coworker E sent his wedding invites out last week (click here to see) and they were so unique and different. I was quickly reminded that to be unique and different is totally in. Totally.

I'm really obsessed with this first one:

A big white (with a grey tint) wall.

Since moving into my house, people have asked me non-stop if I am loving it. While I am loving a new place to rest my head, I know ultimately that my satisfaction does not live in that home.

However.....I have had the hardest time designing my new home. A while back I decided that I wanted a crisp home - white (ish) walls, yellows, greys. Something completely different from my last home. So I did that. Made it white. You can decorate anything with that, right? WRONG. I have been so conflicted on how to make my den look just right, and I'm struggling. It's not like me to be indecisive about decorating as I'm generally very headstrong. I want it to look just right. Isn't that ridiculous? I think ultimately the rug doesn't match the walls, and my red couch needs to be recovered and it's throwing me off. I do LOVE my bedroom style. It's already perfect and calming...

And then I'm reminded, my last house looked "just right" the day I sold it! It took me five years to get it just how I wanted.

If you have any ideas, I am always open to help.

Here is the wall (the ceilings are 11 ft so it's a tall wall):



And here is what I am thinking (with a circular mirror to replace the current one and a colored frame around that white drawing on the R):



Comments? Thoughts? Suggestions?

My Christmas Labels

Every year I make my own Christmas cards. I'm about to start that process again (not a clue what I'm going to do), cause I believe last year topped them all. What beats a picture of two zebras hugging on a piece of red card stock with a vellum sheet covering that states:

All that I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all that I have not seen.

The Lord created that card while I was in Africa. Not much can beat a message and picture from Him. I'm on a tangent. Sorry.

So, my friend Micah is a sucker for all of those sites you get great stuff at discounted prices, and he told me about one of these sites which led me to One Kings Lane. I don't go to the site often, but the other day I did....and I shouldn't have.

I purchased these:


The site, Erin Condren has some really cute ideas (some are a little busy)....but I'd take a look if I were you.

Love these too:

Christmas Photo Cards

This is one of the cutest Christmas photo card sites I think I've ever seen!!!! Maybe it's due to their style. Check them out here.

Photography.

This is my friend Reba. She is an uber-talented art director, and also dabbles in photography. So here I stand, behind her camera, jealous. I love photography too, but have not taken the time nor dedicated any resources to truly learning how to do it well. I'm charging myself a new goal this coming year:

Figure out what all the settings are on my camera and do something with it.

My sis-in-law is uber-talented too. She has this eye to find "moments"...and figured out (on her own) how to use her camera. If they can do it, I'm going to figure out how to do it!! Go here to see her website: http://maggieingramphotography.com/index2.php

The name.

I think the name of a blog says so much about a person. For instance, I recently read a blog named "what fell down the rabbit hole"....based on creative ideas from a girl who loves music, art, photograhy, etc. Well, reading that title from Alice and Wonderland makes you believe that a person has to be somewhat out of the box and creative to name their blog after Alice and Wonderland. Make sense?

So, I wanted a clever name, but because I'm not really creative with names, I came up with this: withallthatfreetimeIhave.blogspot.com. Because if you know me, you know sometimes I can be seriously sarcastic. I'm not saying it's good, but it's reality. And if you know me even better, you know that I don't really have free time, so it's somewhat entertaining that I have a blog. So here's to me being sarcastic, and finding more free time to work on fun projects I can blog about! Cheers!

(oh, and the "Blank Canvas" statement -- let's just say I feel like my paint was stripped off of my most recent canvas and sweet Jesus is about to paint a more beautiful picture.)

A lonely little table.

I've had this lonely little table for the past seven years. It used to sit behind a door in my laundry, gathering junk mail.

When I moved, I decided that lonely little table needed to find a home, and a new look. It was a wooden table and it needed a facelift.

So I primed:


And then painted, and added a 1/2 yard of fabric to the top using contact paper. It looks great in my hallway, and is no longer gathering junk mail!

Inspired by a friend.

My sweet friend C, a writer, blogger, and designer, posted a post on great kitchens and it totally inspired my new home. I promptly printed out the picture, took it to my designers and the paint store, and wallaa! Thankful for C and her eye -- she indirectly helped design my home! Visit her blog: tilly and fran.

Image that inspired me:


My kitchen (the cabinets are grey with a blue tint, although they look green here):

A Blank Canvas

So I've had other personal blogs before, but they've always been about personal matters. Growth, pain, seasons, etc. While that information is so vital to me and my journey, I'm not sure that I want to continue to blog about it. I've been so convicted about the things and matters of life with the Lord being so intimate, and a blog doesn't always allow for that intimacy.

I heard a friend once say "I'm pretty sure all pharisees would have been bloggers" and I can't get that out of my mind. We are to teach others, and tell of the good news, but have we lost site of the relational aspect of it? Is it easier for people to read it, see it, than to show it with our own lives? For me, yes. So I'm challenged to start living it more and writing about it less.

I'm not saying it's wrong for a believer to blog about the things of Christ, and I am suuuuurrrrrreeee there will be times when I speak of His goodness, or something he has taught me, but I think it's time for me to be more lighthearted in my blogging.

SOOOO....with this new phase of life, I'm going to start posting projects I'm working on, places I'm going, things to do. I think it'll be fun. Lighthearted and fun. A blank canvas.