Headboard Design

Ryan and I came up with the headboard design last night. Now all we have to do (well, more like Ryan) is buy the wood, cut out the design, sand the design, and paint the headboard.



It is going to be painted white and screwed into the wall, more like art in place of a headboard. I will be sure to take pictures of the process along the way, and of course, once we get it up on the wall.

Small Brain

Ryan often says this: Ron Burgundy: I'm a man who discovered the wheel and built the Eiffel Tower out of metal and brawn. That's what kind of man I am. You're just a woman with a small brain. With a brain a third the size of us. It's science. So when I saw this ceramic tile on Etsy.com it made me smile :)


Small Brain ceramic tile

Scooter Santas

Okay, so I had a thought today...

IF YOU CAN GROW A WHITE BEARD, YOU SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO START GROWING IT AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER SO THAT BY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE THAT CAN GROW A WHITE BEARD WOULD HAVE A BIG, BUSHY ONE LIKE SANTA!!

And then while I was doing a search for a Santa picture I came across these SCOOTER SANTAS! They even look like they are on a scoot-scoot that looks like mine!

24 Hours Left

I entered a PHOTO CONTEST a few weeks back. There are LESS THAN 24 HOURS for me to get votes, so I thought I would ask here as well :) (You have to have a Facebook account to vote for me though) The website is here.

Here at Jedidiah we love helping others. That’s the whole reason we exist: fusing the beauty of art with the fabric of clothing for the greater good. We know many of you share our passion for helping others, so now we want to see it!From now through September 29, 2010, you can enter our Back-to-School Photo Contest by submitting a picture of yourself doing something to help others.

This is a picture of me in Haiti doing 'Meals on Heels', which is taking meals to those folks in the community that can't make it to the mission for the nutrition program. The silver container holds one serving size in each layer. We are in the 'town square' in St. Louis, Haiti (Northwest Haiti).

Etsy Wooden Goods

These are a few of my favorite wooden goods on Etsy.com :)

2 Woodland Forest Friends Bookend Pair Mix / Match




Lumberjack and Evergreen Pillow



wood collection - Mss Blondie



i love you



Little Whale from reclaimed wood



HELLO recycled wooden sign



Kirie 01 Bamboo Clock



MATCH BLOX---The Mix And Match Build Your Own Set Of Wall Art Blocks



Mosaic Yellow, Blue and White

Real Vampires?!

GAAAA-RRRRROSSSSSSSSSSSS!

Real-Life 'Twilight' Saga: Teens Sucking Each Other's Blood

American teens are sinking their teeth into each other's necks, literally.

Inspired by the "Twilight" series and heartthrob vampire Edward Cullen's chilly charms, teens are taking their love nips a little too far, MSNBC reports, biting each other -- hard -- and then licking the blood.

Bizarre teen behavior has horrified parents for generations, but health officials and other experts are warning this vampire-inspired Count Dracula fad could have serious consequences.

"These are kids who think they are real vampires," Dr. Orly Avitzur, the medical advisor to Consumers Union, the agency that publishes Consumer Reports magazine, tells MSNBC.

And many teens are getting their blood-sucking fix on the Internet, Avitzur says, noting that sessions spent trolling vampire-related teen websites are on the rise. Groups such as "I drink blood," a category at experienceproject.com, and "I want to be a vampire" at the site 43things.com, are filled with apparent posts from young people with a yearning for hemoglobin.

"Having that thick, warm copper-tasting blood in my mouth is the best thing I can think of!" writes a teenager identified as "GothicGirl10" on MSNBC. "Sometimes my boyfriend lets me feed off him. I let him feed off me as well."

The rest of the article here.

More Vinyl

We hung another vinyl phrase over our master bed - 'Always, forever, and no matter what'. It is hard to capture in the light (since it is white on a yellow wall), but at least you get the idea.





Hopefully I will have pictures of the room a little more finished once we make the headboard (which will go below this phrase).

Holy Heat Wave

Holy Crap-oly! IT IS HOT! Currently it is 102 degrees! And that is at the COAST! Wowser!



They are saying the heat should break tonight though and go back to the 70s starting tomorrow - THANK GOODNESS :)

Prints On The Wall

Ryan and I hung the pictures on the bedroom wall last night.






We bought them on Etsy.com from Pennywishes. They came last week. We bought the frames from Michaels. We LOVE the way they came out... What do you think?!

C2C Movie Poster

Look at what Ryan did to a Cancer To Capricorn movie poster :) He cut out the surfer's face so that he could act like he was the surfer :)





Good thing we know the director of the movie, or else maybe this would be some sort of trademark infringement :)

Hug A Veggie

Happy "Hug a Vegetarian" Day! Today is the day designated for hugging some of those people who love animals the most: vegetarians and vegans!

Etsy Pillows

Some awesome pillows I've saved on Etsy.com. Yeah, they have a fall theme for the most part, but still all AWESOME!

Merry Christmas Burlap Pillow Cover



Haunted Carnival Gathering Burlap Pumpkin Squash



Woody The Log Pillow



Crisp Days



Love Pillow Cover



OH DEER and Deer Head



MR. NUT



HAPPY HARVEST



Long Cotton Wood Tree Log Bolster Pillow



Celebrate your LOVE Burlap Pillow Cover

New Decor

I ordered some Vinyl decorations for the house from Etsy last week. They arrived last night. I was able to talk Ryan into putting one of them up last night around 10:30pm. I really like them!! This one says "find joy everyday". It is over our doors to our patio.




The next one will be in our bedroom, but will probably wait until Sunday to put it up (so you will have to wait in suspense to see more pictures). I will tell you that it says "Always Forever And No Matter What".

Beauty from Ashes by T***

THERE IS HOPE!!

Beauty from Ashes by T*** (last name withheld) A true story.

This story was written by one of our Hope members. This is a true story about herself and the horror she faced daily starting in early childhood....

This is the story of my life. I will warn you, it isn’t easy to read. There will not be graphic details – but enough to tell my story.

I was born in 1970. I don’t remember much from my early years. Pictures seem like someone else’s life and not my own. It is strange to see the little girl yet not be able to remember her at all. Most people have memories from their early childhood – I have none.

I was young the first time I remember it happening. I don’t have memories of the actual incident. I merely remember my father buttoning his shirt and trying to convince me not to tell Mommy because Daddy would go to jail and Mommy and Daddy would get a divorce. I didn’t want that did I? That’s my first memory and enough of a memory to give you an idea of what happened. I do remember where it happened and at that time, I was under 6 years of age. He told me it was our secret, our game to play.

Fast forward to my teenage years. By this time, I was angry, defiant, and hated God. I prayed often – but I felt my prayers were falling on deaf ears. The incident I described above was happening several times a week and had been since that first memory. It had progressed to violence as I was now old enough to try to fight him off. My father controlled every aspect of my life – listened to my phone conversations, followed me around town when I was out with friends – even managed to get my boss to tap the phones so he could listen in – telling my boss I was dealing drugs from his business (my father did some work for him and they were friends). I was a prisoner in my own home.

I stood between my father and the rest of my family. I felt it was my job to protect them. I heard repeated threats about what would happen to them if I were to leave or to tell. It was those threats that kept me from leaving.

Several times – I tried to take my own life – but God had better plans for me. I swallowed bottles of pills – to never have any side effects. For some reason, I never turned to drugs or alcohol. I was too busy trying to stay in control.

Three different times during my teenage years, my father tried to kill me by choking me. Twice because I threatened to tell, and once because I came home to find him going through my room – he slapped me across the face – and I slapped him back. That sent him into a rage I will never forget. My Mom stepped in and he threw her into a wall. A sibling attempted to dial 911 but my father ripped the phone out of the wall. He then took a baseball bat and smashed everything in sight. It was a terrifying night and I begged my Mom to take us away. His rage lasted almost a week – and finally ended after getting me alone to rape me yet again.

One of the most difficult things about my childhood was that many times, the rape involved watching a horror film such as the exorcist or the shining. Those memories were ones I battled with well into my adult life. I had many sleepless nights and whether you believe it or not, woke up face to face with demons on more than one occasion.

In high school, I was very dedicated to band. I threw myself into my instrument and into my music – it was my escape. When I had nothing else – I had my music. Music ended up being the tool God used to remove me from the situation.

During my senior year, I received a music scholarship to a Christian college. My family attended church off and on – but it was never a big part of our lives. If nothing else, it was an opportunity for my father to show the world how “perfect” we were – forcing us to sing and to look perfect. No one ever suspected what was really happening inside our home.

By a miracle, my father let me go to college. The most difficult decision I ever made was to leave my family behind. I was sure the day I left for college; I would never see them alive again.

I turned 18 shortly after arriving on campus. My birthday present - my father showed up on campus – 3 hours away – to take me home.　 He stopped on the side of the road on the way and raped me. I arrived home with smeared makeup and a ripped shirt to a house full of high school friends and a surprise birthday party. Yet, I had become so good at living a lie that I was able to fend off questions and concerns and no one thought anything of it.

Back on campus, my father would call in the middle of the night several times a week. My roommates had no idea why the phone would ring and I would jump to answer it. He would never talk but breathe heavily in the phone to remind me he had not forgotten me.

One weekend, my roommates were gone and the phone rang as usual. That night, I hit the end. I threw the phone into the wall, smashing it to pieces. I fell on my face before God and told Him I couldn’t take it anymore. I challenged God to show me He was real. I told Him I couldn’t do this on my own anymore and I was His. That night I gave everything to Him – and it was the best decision I ever made.
Things didn’t change overnight. In fact, I went home for Thanksgiving, for Christmas, to much the same things. However – God began to change me. He began to work in my heart. He began to heal me even before I told someone else what was happening to me.

Shortly before Easter, I gathered the courage to call my father and tell him I was bringing my boyfriend home for Easter. I told him it was the only way I was coming home. I thought I would be safe. Two days before I was to come home, I received a letter from my Mom and all it said was “don’t come home”, nothing more. My Mom couldn’t get mail out to me that wasn’t approved by him – so I knew something was really wrong. Still, I planned on going home.The next day, I was sitting in a dorm waiting for a friend when my roommate burst in and told me the police were on the phone. I knew in that moment it was over. I thought my family was dead – but I was still keeping the perfect face, even though panic had taken over my heart.　

When I got to the phone, it was not the police but my Mom. I don’t remember her words – but I remember telling her just a small piece of what my life was like. It was the first she knew. It was the first time I ever told anyone.

My father was arrested that night. We found out later he had closed out bank accounts, paid off bills, sold a car – did things that would indicate he was checking out of life. Days before I was to come home, he held a baseball bat to my Mom’s throat and told her he would kill us all when I came home.

Even though sexual abuse was not talked about in the 80's and people didn’t know a lot about it – my father was never released the night of the arrest. He stayed in the county jail until his sentencing. To the best of my recall, because I had not written down the exact dates of the rapes and because I was 18 at the time of the arrest, my father was not charged with what he did to me. Out of protection for other family members, I can’t say exactly what he was charged with. In the end, we plea bargained, never had a trial and he was given an 8 year sentence and served 6. Justice, in that sense, was never served.

God is an amazing God. He is the Healer. He is the Almighty. He mends the broken heart. As Isaiah says, he is the restorer of places long devastated and the renewed of ruined cities. I was devastated – and ruined – but I was not forgotten.

To this day, it brings tears to my eyes to think of all God has done in my life. What I just shared with you is merely the tip of the iceberg of my life. I should be crazy; I should be depressed, I should be in a mental institution, on drugs, or dead.

But what I should be is not what God intended me to be.

He gives beauty for ashes. My life was nothing but ashes – but the beauty that has come out of the fire is nothing but a miracle. He gives the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. He has clothed me with gladness and a garment of praise.

The road has been long. The path has been rugged. There have been times I have been unable to see His light – but I will tell you that my God is into the business of making all things new. He is in the business of proclaiming freedom for the captives and releasing prisoners from the darkness.

One thing I want to share is the importance of forgiveness. If you are reading this and you have suffered a path similar to mine – let me encourage you. Forgiveness is possible. Will you forget? No. Forgiveness is a process – and sometimes one that you continue in until the day you die – but it is possible. It is also necessary. You will be forever chained to your past if you do not forgive. I will tell you forgiveness took me many, many years – and there are still times I have to check myself in the mirror of Jesus and make sure my heart is in the right place. Is it easy? No. Does it feel good?　Definitely not, but forgiveness is a choice you make – and sometimes that choice is moment by moment, day by day, memory by memory. Yet, it is a choice that at some point – you must make.

Jesus can give you beauty from ashes. Jesus can and does free you from the shackles of your past. It is possible. Jesus heals all wounds.　 You have to be willing to let Him – you have to let go and not live in that hate, that anger, that bitterness anymore. You have to walk THROUGH what you experienced and not jump around or over or pretend it didn’t happen. Although you will hate hearing this, your past helped shape who you are today. Jesus shapes who you are tomorrow. Let Him shape you.

I am so in love with my Jesus. I have much to be thankful for. I am forever in His gratitude for His gift on the cross. If not for that – where would I be today?

Instead today I am happy, whole, without spot or blemish – washed with the blood of the lamb – white as snow. I am forgiven and not forgotten. Restored, renewed, redeemed. I am full of hope and promise and full of His grace and mercy over my life every single day. I wear a crown of beauty. Without Jesus, I would be nothing – but instead – He has given me everything.

He will give you everything too. You only have to ask. It’s a gift and it’s yours for the taking. Let Jesus take over and watch what He can do with a life sold out to Him.

One more thing before I go, Jesus is the only answer. I strongly encourage counseling – don’t try to do this alone, seek Godly counsel.　 In the end though – Jesus is the only answer. There is no answer outside of Him. Not alcohol, not drugs, not prostitution, not hate, not anger, not revenge. Jesus is the only answer. He is the only way to true freedom. There is no other.

There is more to this story – but this is where we’ll leave it for now.
He gives beauty from ashes – and I’m forever grateful.
~ T***

Go Blue!

My brother said this is his new touchdown dance :)



It's GREAT to be a Michigan WOLVERINE!

Famous Father-In-Law

You have to watch this little Cheboygan News clip. My father-in-law is FAMOUS!! He is the Board Chairman of the Cheboygan Hospital and was interviewed a bunch today because of the new owner of the hospital. I tried to embed the clip, but looks like the Cheboygan News doesn't have the best technology.

FULL REPORT- Cheboygan Memorial Hospital signs purchase agreement : News : UpNorthLive.com

It's Kind of a Funny Story

Looks like I will like it :)

Jack vs. Andy

Check out Andy Samberg vs. Jack Johnson in the official music video for "At Or With Me!" It's HILARIOUS.

Etsy Buttons

Here are a few buttons I have liked on Etsy.com :)

Life Is Greener



bicycle love set



plant eaters rule



peace love and tofu



partial history of music



share the road



Retro TV Brooch/Pin



Tree Hugger Button



Bright Green BigFoot



3 Bike



6-pc Princess