Before the After

 "Hey, Kara. Can I use your camera to take "before" pictures?"

"I dunno. Can you?              ...Sure. But only if you promise not to get one. speck. of paint on it."

((Oh, but I love having a photographer in the family.))

Yup. This is my new project. I was super excited when I saw this old thing sitting at Goodwill. It's scratched, decidedly cheap and even comes with a perfectly disgusting gum-and-toothpaste collection stuck on the side of it. But it was only $40.00 and I'd been dying to re-vamp an old dresser - how could I say no?

Somehow, I managed to put all the van seats down, chauffer my treasure all the way home, then muscle the ugly, heavy thing into our basement where it now resides - trying on a new coat of primer.

My Tuesday and Wednesday have now been completely devoted to old clothes, Gospel music and paint (on my clothes, my hair, my fingers, my arms, the old sheet that I spread out over the floor, the floor (in spite of it all) ... and my dresser.  But it's ON THE DRESSER, TOO; So it's okay.)

This is going to be awesome. I'd been praying for just such an old, ugly dresser as this.

....an' now I'm just waiting for the primer to dry.

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Before the After

Packing Advice (Lecturing Myself)

I want one of those shrink-vacuum-bag-thingies. A big one.

Yes, folks, I'm travelin' again. This time, I'll be heading out for Arizona (SO EXCITED!) with my trusty sidekick (Kara) in tow. It is against my nature to bother with larger-than-life suitcases/checking/dragging them through the airport, so I am, once again, stepping up to the challenge and packing for a whole week...in my faithful, turquoise carry on.

Truth be told, I've never packed in anything bigger than a carry on - with all six of us Pyatskowits, the van trunk is stacked like a multi-colored jenga puzzle on family vacations. Normally, my zipper is straining it's stitches, and the expansion is completely, well, expanded. I have to sit on it to get it shut.

This time, I decided to see what Pinterest had to say about packing things neatly and efficiently in a carry on.

*rolls eyes.

There are some terrifical tips - ones that I've never quite understood. (Sorry, but I can't pack all dresses to save on space. Woops! I don't wear shorts...and, Oh dear: I don't think I can eliminate much more without wearing the same three outfits for all seven days.)

So: Here's my version of heft-cutting advice.

1. MAKE A CLOTHING SCHEDULE. It's pretty simple to do with Microsoft Excel - one box for every day of the week. (For me, there's usually church on a few of those days, so an extra "dressy" outfit is necessary, too. Just add a cell underneath the day's "every-day" box to accommodate your needs.

Why: This will save diminish the heap of clothes that you might otherwise take/it cuts confusion on sleep-bereft mornings when you sit (bewildered and half-asleep) in front of your open suitcase, trying to decide what to wear. Too, it'll make sure you have exactly enough clothing. 

2. Bring A Spray Bottle. Forget about packing things so they won't get wrinkled. You're trying to conserve space, here! Roll that denim skirt into the smallest ball you can manage. Every night, before you fall asleep, lay out tomorrow's outfit and spray/brush out all the wrinkles. This is one of the most awesome tricks I've ever stumbled upon. In the morning, all the wrinkles will be gone. Love it.

PS. It's good if you make sure to iron your hems before packing, though. Spray bottles are amazing, but their super-powers only reach "so far."

3. Put your messy stuff in a ziplock bag. Please, please please. You don't want "Fructise extra-strength hair gel" silently soaking into your white tee-shirt during the trip. (Handy Hint: When flying, stick this ziplock bag into your purse for easy access. On your trip through security, this method is a whole lot easier than grappling with an awkward suitcase that has 10,000 things in it.)

4. Be Sure To Mix And Match Your Outfits. I know, I know...it's annoying. But try to wear pack a lot of neutrals that you can wear more than once. Then, schedule! your! solutions! (!!!) so you won't forget what-goes-with-what. ;) Plan all of your formal outfits with a black or brown "theme" in mind. (So you'll only have to pack one color of dress shoes.) Now: Be brave. It's okay to wear the same outfit twice. *wink

5. Make A Big List & Get Your Clothes Together BEFORE You Start Packing. Call it a pet peeve, but it makes me feel scatter-brained to be smashing stuff into my suitcase...then be forced to stop, run downstairs to find three more pairs of socks, come back upstairs, remember the hairspray is still in the bathroom:: Get the picture? These two steps make packing a lot less frazzling.

(Handy Hint: If you calmly collect things for the "official packing spree" a couple days before you actually start, everything should (at least) be on the same floor, when you're ready. ;)



6. Don't Stress. I know, all this scheduling and double-checking stuff is important. Still, don't get so wrapped up in your configurations that it becomes frustrating. Take a deep breath - it's okay if you have to re-wear the orange sweater because the blue one had a coffee stain. Most people won't remember.

7. Enjoy It! Turn on an audio drama, open the windows, make a cup of coffee, and dream about how much fun you're going to have on vacation. You can find happiness in strange corners, sometimes. ;)

Any tips you all could share?

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Packing Advice (Lecturing Myself)

Reasons To Be Thankful {Our Very First Thankfulness Tree}

We did it. And it actually turned out. 

I asked everyone to write down (on the little "leaves" that I made") something special, something they were looking forward to, something that cheered them up and one of their favorite things that they were thankful for. It was fun :)

Isaac was thankful for: Sugar, friends and matchbox cars, among other things :)

Becca wrote down that she loved: Kittens, dogs and her family...

Kara added: Peanut butter and coffee {And refused to allow me to post any of the pictures I'd taken of her, save one..and it was of very poor quality. }

Mom was thankful for her loving husband, piano music and hot tea, among other things :)

Then came the assembling party.

Problem 1: Branches sticking out everywhere.

Problem 2: The "Canned Tomatoes" label on my mason jar. 

Solution 1: Use a hair scrunchie to hold your "tree" together.

Solution 2: Prune the "tree"

Solution 3: Cover up the jar with this parchment paper.

Haven't a clue why I look so sleepy; I was having fun, I promise!

Then, I added a band of paper around the top (after cutting the yarn, so nobody can see it) and tied a ribbon around it.

*Tadum

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Reasons To Be Thankful {Our Very First Thankfulness Tree}

Spicin' it Up

 

Fall has begun and the festivities will be here soon! Sometimes (around this time) school days can seem pretty long and the days take on a dull, monotonous form. Why not spice up your life with a few fall projects? "In all work there is profit." :)

 

 

 

 Here's a few "Pinteresting" ideas that I might be using.

 

Tutorial Here

 

I want to make one of these trees with Isaac and Becca this year. SO cute!

How to make burlap roses....

 

 

And how to use them :)

 

 

So many pillows, so little time :)

 

Oooh.... patchwork :)

 

 

 

Tutorial HERE

 

 

 

A little hot-glue and some twine should fix these candles up, nicely. :)

 

 

Tutorial HERE

 

Don't forget that a cup of hot-chocolate with make your crafting experience downright magical. Is anyone else trying new decorating ideas this Fall?

 

(I could frame the saying, too...)



 

 









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Spicin' it Up

The Education of Anna Pyatskowit

 

Candidly, I'll say that I tend to have a very peaceful personality. I take life slowly - eyeing the details, doing my best at things and carefully, perfecionistically, adding the "laces and bows" to all hairstyles, plans, relationships, table settings, and the like.

Some people might call the above description "pokey-slow."  Maybe it is - but I like to justify myself as a diligent slowpoke, at the very least. ;)

Anyway, knowing my personality, I've often wondered what my future home will look like when (inevitably) company stops over unexpectedly. I've thought about whether or not meals would make it to the table on time and if my kids would still be schooling into the middle of August every year. What about the laundry - could I keep up with it?

Apparently I complained of my fears in front of mom a few too many times. 

Finally, she got that thoughtful/compassionate look in her eye and basically said "Anna, I think you'd do just fine, but you need confidence...and confidence comes by experience."

Oh, that I'd kept my mouth shut. When, when when will I ever learn to keep my mouth shut.

It just so happens that I'm a senior this year. Having already collected all of my high-school credits, save two, my schedule is very light.

Not now.

I'm currently pursuing a "BA in humanities with a concentration on homemaking" at White Oak Christian College (which is still White Oak Christian School for my three siblings.) (Of course I'm kidding, but did you know you can actually go for that degree in some colleges?)

Therefore, I am in charge of the cooking, menu-planning, laundering and tidying of the Pyatskowit household for the entire month of September - and possibly the whole school year.

Part of me is scared to death, and the other part is excited. However this turns out, it will definitely be an adventure.

That's where you come in. Dear blogging friends, I shall be posting of my successes and woes on this blog twice a week. I promise. (Er, *cough*, I promise to try, anyways.)

It should be rather comical.

For the record though, I'm very thankful mom came up with this idea and don't regret opening my mouth in front of her at all. I was being sarcastic ;)

Wish me luck!

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The Education of Anna Pyatskowit

The Hair Salon: Homemade Hair

Explanation: Hair products are bad for your hair. On the label of a typical hair-gel bottle, there's a whole list of names that I'm not quite sure how to pronounce. I've heard rumors that some (if not all) of these products actually dry out your hair (alcohol content, for one thing). Usually I restrain myself to use  hairspray and gel only for special occasions. (I'd rather use them everyday, but don't want the increased dandruff and guilty-sort-of-feeling that'll go along with that.)

 

Problem with this information:

My hair is naturally full and wavy/curly...so without proper products and scrunching, it's very frizzy and dry.)

Due to going on the "G.A.P.S." diet, I'm not supposed to use the beloved "Curl pomade" or conditioner that I normally would. I tried plain ol' olive oil...and the greasy look just didn't work.

I prayed about it and started researching. This is what I found:

1 cup of warm water
1 tsp of unflavored gelatin

Mix well and, after washing your hair, put on the wet mixture (all over)  and scrunch.

When it dries, it holds very well. (If you don't want your hair to be so stiff that it's "crunchy" you can just add less gelatin.)

This works well and I suppose it protects the hairs, themselves.

While looking up the benefits of gelatin for hair, I found that it might be good to consume a bit of it internally, too!

"Gelatin contains keratin, which is a very strong protein found in your hair, nails, teeth and skin. All of these are basically dead cells which are pushed up from underneath by new cells being formed. The stronger these layers of dead cells are, the more protection they give the tender, new growth beneath. Keeping your keratin levels up can help keep the outer layers flexible and strong."

Lots of interesting information.

Do you do have any "Hair recipes" to share?

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The Hair Salon: Homemade Hair

A Peak Into My Room

After much thinking, hoping and praying, my room is not finished, but very, very,very much farther along on the journey. :) It's been a really fun project.  I picked yellow for the walls and did my painting somewhere around the end of August.

A few days later I found a comforter at Goodwill (love that store!) and the little yellow pillow, too. This took  about twelve dollars. (I kid you not.)

These serve as a centerpiece for my dresser (which we girls have had for...as long as I've been born. So, at least 16 1/2 years. :D). I bought the jewelry box quite a few years ago and the lantern was a gift for my 14th birthday. You can't see it, but I've also thrown some "memory" into the mix by putting three rocks from the shore of Lake Superior on top of the jewelry box. 

I love lace curtains. (Becca, Kara and I made snowflakes for Art class - they make great decorations!)

Kara bought me this hair accessory board. It works very well - I hung it on the back of my door (between both mirrors in my room) where I like to fix my hair. 

I was super excited to finally put pictures in the frame one of my friends had given me for my 15th birthday. (Thanks Maria!)

I bought a bulletin board at the beginning of the school year to post Becca's accomplishments on...but, eh, it turned into a plain ol' bulletin board for whatever happens to need a spot on the wall. 

My hope chest doubles as a bookshelf :)

Gotta love bunk-beds!

                                            

Sorry 'bout the quality, *cough* but this is the photo collage for the main wall in our bedroom. Isaac knew I would love this sticker and bought the perfect gift for me. :) I bought the photo frames at Walmart for three dollars each. (Awesome, right?)

Anyway, that's a peak into my room. I have yet to find a mattress for the top bunk and would like to make the quilt to go on top of it. I really should paint the ceiling and trim, and the wall on the other side of our bed needs a second coat of paint. (I ran out.) But, all in good time. :) 

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A Peak Into My Room

Taking Advantage of Vacation

Today, dear friends, is the very first day of our two-week vacation from school. I'm getting ready to head into the "blizzard" outside and have a sledding/snowman making session with my wondifferous siblings.

I have all sorts of plans for the next two weeks; there certainly won't be a whole lot of resting going on...but then again, my schedule isn't that busy. I'm hoping to use all sorts of different "ings" though.
(Singing, quilting, sewing, baking, eating, sledding, ice skating, laughing, planning, organizing, celebrating - It's Kara's birthday tomorrow! - reading and learning.

Yes. I said learning.

Just because school has stopped for a while doesn't mean that learning does; in fact, now is the perfect time to explore your interests. (Self-education sticks the best, I think.) I'm planning to spend a few hours reading some books on Wisconsin History and the War of 1812, not to mention the hands-on projects that I haven't gotten around to yet.

Anyway:: It's also my little sister's birthday tomorrow...Kara's going to be 14. (Does anyone agree that little sisters aren't supposed to be FOURTEEN?)  She's a talented, beautiful, caring young lady with amazing self discipline and inspiring cooking abilities. Her photography is a wonderful thing to behold, as well. (www.kpyat1photography.blogspot.com) I'm very thankful for her. (Wish her a happy birthday, won't you?)

Otherwise; what are you planning to do over winter vacation? Any projects?

Here's some inspiring things that I'd like to try:

I wear denim skirts all the time, but don't have any flowers that match. :D (Hopefully I can fix that before vacation is over.)

I'd like to set the table like this for one meal...it'd just be kinda fun. (Minus the wine glasses, obviously.)

 

Cute centerpiece for one night...

 

I'd love to make a skirt like this, but I don't have this exact pattern. I plan to try a different one, anyway...

 

Happy Vacationing!

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Taking Advantage of Vacation

"Come Watch Me Ride My Bike!" And Other Calamities

Little sisters. Little brothers. Most people (probably all of us)  would, most likely, plaster the label "annoying" smartly in the middle of them and sigh in frustration. "Just a little girl who messes up the room and jumps on the bed and gets into my closet and ruins my clothes and tags along and...and..."...But as Believers, we're supposed to be different.

I think, many times, selfishness is the foundation of our label (the one we stick on siblings.) Indeed, the very glue that sticks it onto that stained, muddy shirt is the same stuff that envelops us in a cushy bubble and protects our ideas, physical beings and agendas.

Why didn't we kindly overlook when "he" tracked mud over the floor that we've swept, when he's too little to know any better? Why, even when he did know better, did we fly off the handle because he did "such-and-such" when we remember that the Bible says to "Do unto others" and "Love thy neighbor as thyself?"

Why do we give free reign to the anger that screams retribution when Jesus said to turn the other cheek?

The reason, a lot of the time, is that we don't want to.

Ever heard the saying "Where there's a will there's a way"? I don't think that, at least, in most situations, God just waves a magic wand over us and cries " (Enter Name Here), thou shall never again be bothered by your brother's (sister's) unkind remarks. I do here and now turn you into a little angel who cares not what others do to her."

Remember the verse about the man who kept his tongue (or spirit)? The Bible said he was greater than someone who took a city. Does that make you think that God waved a magic wand over him? No. This man had to fight.

It's not God's fault for not making us perfect with a wave of his hand. Sometimes, it's our fault for not trying. (Though I don't say that you have to try all by yourself. God does help us mightily in these things.)

I have heard complaints, as I tried to smooth a situation while someone exclaimed vehemently over a sibling's actions."Yes, but it's so hard. She does this all the time." Blaming the situation for her own defeat.

You are more than a conqueror. If you are a Born-Again Christian, why do you choose to bow in defeat?

Fight. Fight with prayer. Fight with thanksgiving, knowing that "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world." Strive for peace, turning the other cheek, bearing the unfair, letting go of your rights. If someone hadn't done it for you 2000 years ago, where would you be?

"...We don't wrestle flesh and blood
But the principalities of the dark.
We too are marching to one beat
Crushing the enemy under our feet
We are mighty in our stand
With God's word in our hand.
Onward Christian soldiers...."

In this day and age, churches, denominations, groups and families fuss and fight and split. Let's set an example in our families that tells our neighborhoods, our siblings, our grandparents, the whole world, maybe, that we're real Christians who love one another as Jesus said to. Let's give a testimony of God's love. Let's not be hypocrites.

"Hereby do men know that ye are my disciples; if ye love one another." (I'm paraphrasing.) If we want people to be see the truth and be saved, let's show them that there "Is a balm in Gilead and, what's more, I know how you can get it!" If you've got the goods behind your verbal testimony, don't you think they'd be more willing to hear?

Be an overcomer. Be the brother or sister that Jesus wants you to be. It's bigger than just "being nice."

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"Come Watch Me Ride My Bike!" And Other Calamities

DIY Recipe Box

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DIY Recipe Box