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Tell Me Tuesday {I am blessed.}

i am blessed.

recently i read something that made me stop and think. am i waiting to be blessed in the future, or am i blessed now?

i am blessed now.

this very moment, i am very blessed.

i have a wonderful husband who loves me more than i will ever understand.

my little girl is so sweet, and i love (most of the time {wink!}) being able to help her grow.

i have great family that all live close, so i can see them often. (both sets of grandparents live 20 minutes away!)

my needs are all met, as well as some of my wants.

i have a roof over my head (with a view that continually reminds me how blessed i really am), and food in the pantry.

don’t get me wrong, not everything in my life is perfect. my house is in serious need of cleaning. sometimes i get lonely. i get tired. i just want a break from life’s responsibilities.

but if you asked me right now, in this stage of life, are you blessed?

my answer is 100% YES. i am blessed beyond measure, and i cannot wish for anything different.

do you feel blessed? would you change your life if you had the chance, or would you leave it the same?

June 19, 2012 Tags: the ranch
Category: Life, Tell Me Tuesday 1 Comment

It’s Friday! (The weekend is here:))

happy friday my friends! the weekend is here:) and what a fun weekend this will be! tomorrow is my husband’s birthday, and we are going to have a small get together for him. i have always had a party for him where we invite all family and friends, while he loves to spend time with all the people he loves, he does not love a big group of them together. so this year i have finally listened, and we are not having a party. it will be a nice low-key day, just like my nice, low-key husband. happiness:)

sunday is going to be awesome! our neighbor is having their annual branding, complete with real cowboys, branding irons and a bucket of rocky mountain oysters. scott gets to join in the fun some too and brand a few cows. oh, i can’t wait!

i didn’t take very many pictures this week, but here are the ones that i did take:

on monday mom, mabel jo and i went to stitch and snip, a *local* quilt shop to find some fabric for mabel jo’s big girl bed. i am always inspired by the quilts on display. this sunflower is especially beautiful!

i have been diligently saving all my scraps, even from my happy girl bags, and will someday make a scrappy quilt from them.

here are some of the fabrics that i will be using for the big girl quilt. i love, love, love the green! it reminds me of my view in the spring out the front window.

speaking of view, it is a beautiful morning today!

and a view from an almost 2 year old when they get a hold of your phone. my question: how does she know how to unlock it, find the camera and take a picture?!?!?!

on saturday mornings we make breakfast together as a family. i love saturday mornings. these blueberry muffins were awesome:)

what plans do you have for the weekend? are you celebrating anything?

smiles:), Julie

June 8, 2012 Tags: happygirlsews, little critter, the ranch
Category: insta-friday, Life 4 Comments

Another Great Week Comes To An End…

hi friends! how was your week? mine was pretty great, especially considering that my little girl and i have both had colds:(

last week, we were in the big city and i picked up some bolts, nuts and washers for my husbands fun project. i can’t wait till it is done and we can use it!

when i got home from the big city it was raining and cold. a nice warm fire in the fireplace took the chill right off!

my husband has been taking the little girl to work on the project with him. i love that they can have some father/daughter time, bonding over old Fords. (oh, and that i get some alone time, that is nice too:)) she loves to explore outside and play in the dirt and climb on transmissions and such.

i got some really fun fabric to line my happy bags with. this will add lots of personality to the insides of my already happy bags:)

speaking of happy bags, have you seen my shop? you really should check it out! there are so many fun zippers there (attached to happy bags, of course!) and always free shipping! how could you refuse?

just going for another fun drive in the woods. one of my very favorite things to do!

this week the loggers are gearing up for the season. every day there is a new piece of equipment that goes by (or several, depending on the day!) my little girl loves any kind of equipment, so this has been quite fun for her!

we are so blessed to live here in idaho, where the sunsets are breathtaking.

how about you? how was your week? did you do anything fun?

Smiles, Julie:)

June 1, 2012 Tags: finished, happy girl sews, little critter, the ranch, what i'm working on
Category: Happy Girl Sews, insta-friday, Life No Comments

Memorial Day

Happy memorial day. Thank you to all who serve, have served and will serve our country. My family and I are so thankful for all of the freedoms that you give us. Especially the freedom to go for a drive in the mountains and have a picnic.

May 28, 2012 Category: Life No Comments

Finding Mud Puddles

my little girl found the mud puddle. and she loved it!

stepping in the mud puddle

what is it about mud puddles that draw us in and call for us to leave all caution and care behind and just jump in?

mud puddle

to stop caring that you will get your clothes dirty, that there might be stains. sometimes you gotta be messy to get to the good stuff. you gotta take risks to see what awaits you.

enjoying the mud puddles

having a child helps me to see the world through a perspective that i had lost as a grown-up. when do we go from seeing everything as new and needing to be discovered, to getting stuck in our way of doing life without seeing the potential around us?

discovering the mud puddle

i have sewn my whole life. only just recently have i seen the potential to make beautiful bags and pouches for you to enjoy. i am creating them with the same sense of awe and wonder that my little girl has in discovering the world around her. i am discovering how to see through her eyes, how each stitch and pleated smile are special and unique.

Brown with Green and Turquoise Dots and Green Pleated Smile Tote

i am excited about this journey that i am on. being a wife. being a mom. being happy girl sews.

what have you seen through child-like eyes recently? please share with us, so we can see it too.

May 9, 2012 Tags: little critter, shop, tote
Category: Happy Girl Sews, Life 2 Comments

Slow and Fantastic Weekend

Happy Monday, Friends! I hope your weekend was great and refreshing. Mine sure was.

Our local vet had a shot clinic on Saturday so we took Blue (our chocolate lab) in for his shots. The fun thing about living in such a small town, is everywhere you go you see someone you know. I waited about an hour for them to see Blue, but it gave me a great opportunity to chat with my friends. One of the ladies that I quilt with on Fridays was there with her two cats. Mabel Jo thought it was just the greatest thing to have two cats in a cage, right at her level. She had a ball talking to them.

After the vet’s office, Scott, Mabel Jo and I had lunch in town at our favorite restaurant. Then we headed over to the local white water park and enjoyed the sunshine and river. Saturday evening our former neighbor from Boise came up to visit. We bbq’d hamburgers, made potato salad, home canned green beans and home made burger buns. Yum. For dessert I made a lemon cake that I found on Make It Do. It was awesome!

The weather Sunday was amazing. We explored down by the creek for a bit, but most of the day was spent on the front porch, just enjoying the sun, slight breeze and view. Five elk wandered by in the morning. That was the first time we have seen them this year. I love watching them.

Elk in the field

What did you do this weekend? Was your weather as beautiful as ours was? Did you try any new recipes? If so, please share!

April 23, 2012 Tags: the ranch, weekend recap
Category: Life 5 Comments

13 ounces or Less, Easter Edition

Easter Egg for Nieces

I love being an aunt. Especially an aunt to all nieces. There are so many fun things to do for little girls.

To celebrate Easter this year I am sending my nieces plastic Easter eggs filled with a fun bracelet, a cute heart and tissue paper. It is just a little something to let them know that I am thinking of them.

And it brings me joy to no end to send it just like this, through USPS.

Stamps on Easter Egg

Did you know that you can mail an object just like this through USPS if it is 13 ounces or less? I stumbled upon this brilliant idea over at Giverslog a while back. In this post she gives all the info you need to mail your own Easter eggs.

Well, I am off to the mail box to drop these eggs in.

What do you do to celebrate Easter for the little ones in your life?

April 5, 2012 Tags: happy mail
Category: Life No Comments

Wednesday, Already? and New in the Shop, Gray and Yellow Large Zip

Happy Wednesday Friends! Wow, what a fun week it has been. I have been spending quality time with my sewing machine, working on Happy Girl Sews, and some fun Easter projects (that I can’t wait to show you;)).

I met with some local mom’s on Monday at THE coffee shop in town. (What, you have more than one coffee shop where you live? Weird.) We meet every Monday, and it is so refreshing to spend time with them, sharing ideas and asking questions when we need help/advice. Nina, Laura and you other fantastic mom’s that come, I am so thankful for your friendship!

Remember the other day, when I posted a seek peak? Well, I just added the large zip to the shop! I am so excited about this zip. It is the perfect size to store all my camera accessories, chargers, USB cords, extra memory cards and even the little user guide, in my camera bag. No more digging for me! Everything is right there, when I can find it easily.

Gray and Yellow Large Zip

What are you working on this week? Do you have a group of friends that you get together with regularly? If not, why don’t you start something?

April 4, 2012 Tags: finished, happygirlsews, large zip, shop
Category: Happy Girl Sews, Life 2 Comments

Amy Butler’s Weekender Bag, Conquered.

Happy Girl's Weekender Bag

Oh, Amy Butler, what a fantastic bag you designed! I have owned this pattern for just over a year, and finally got around to attempting this potentially daunting project.

Cutting out this bag took forever, especially since I tried to match the pattern on the sides and top. If you want to make this bag, plan to spend a good chunk of your time cutting!

I have heard that this bag can be quite the challenge, but there are lots of great posts with tips and tricks to help you tackle this well-worth-it project.

Wonder Clips

Wonder Clips by Clover made this project so much easier! I cannot even imagine trying to get a pin through the 3/8″ thick layers. These amazing little clips are changing the way I sew and I love them. (*I am not affiliated with Clover or Amazon, I just love this product.)

I highly recommend Amy Butler’s Weekender Bag. It is the perfect size for a weekend get away. I am so glad that I finished this project.

**Updated** This bag is part of my goal for the year to COMPLETE personal projects that I have started and abandoned. On this particular bag, I purchased the pattern, and picked out the fabric, but did not get started on the construction part. I am keeping this bag for my personal use, so it is not for sale.

What projects have you finished lately? How long had you been planning it?

March 29, 2012 Tags: amy butler, finished, weekender
Category: Life No Comments

The Road Home

This is my driveway. On my way home yesterday. Yep, super rutted (about a foot deep!) and fun to traverse. My husband got me some great 32″ mud tires last fall so I can make it up the driveway.

When I pull off the highway, 5 miles from my house, I automatically switch to 4 wheel drive. One never knows what they might encounter on these dirt county roads of ours.

I grew up in the city. 4 wheel drive was not a requirement. Driving in snow was not something that I did often. I never drove in 4 wheel drive. Heck, I did not even have 4 wheel drive.

This week marks two years of living in the mountains, and it has been quite an adventure. I have learned how to drive in adverse conditions, the hard way. This winter, I have not gotten stuck once. (Tales of driving last winter will follow, when I am brave enough to share:)) I was thinking about writing this post after I stopped to take the above picture, and how well I had done driving this winter. I almost did not make it up the driveway. How does that verse go? Oh, right… Pride goes before destruction… Proverbs 16:18

What adverse conditions have you had to adapt to? Have you been successful?

March 22, 2012 Tags: the ranch
Category: Life No Comments

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