The time has come...

I'm closing shop.

And the beloved blog.

I started this blog almost four years ago and it has been such an amazing blessing and journey.
What a gift to have this visual journal that I will be printing to have forever and always.
What growth and gifts I have found, what friends I have made, what support I have received.
But, I'm moving on to something new.

I have felt the shift coming for awhile.
While I was painting the mural I felt a creative urge that was new to me.
I realized I was sort of stuck in the artistic situation I am currently in.

I'm ready to move on to something new.
No, I am not exactly sure what that is.
I want to paint.
I want to paint big.
I want to paint in the glory of God's name.
...I'm not sure if I'll be starting a new blog and/or etsy shop eventually, or what that means exactly.
But we will see!  :)

So guess what?
My shop and blog will remain on-line and open for two more weeks before I close them down.
That means everything in my shop is on sale.
Yes, everything.
If you want a custom name pillow, now is the time to order.
All prints, all wood pieces, all pillows and checkbook covers etc...
Everything is 20% with a $5 flat rate shipping fee.
Use this code:  CULATER
and I will refund you any extra shipping charges.

Thank you for all your support and friendship these last few years.
You can still find me updating my instagram regularly @chrissiegrace,
and my Facebook page will be updated regularly as I move into the next phase.

Hugs and kisses and may God bless you... :)

I'm in love with this girl...

When I was  pregnant with Ava I had already had two sons and was fully expecting to be pregnant with another boy.   When I went in for my ultrasound and the tech told me she was a "she" I cried tears of joy.

What a blessing it has been to have a daughter.

You know how some days you go through life and every day is another day.  A busy day full of activities and commitments...a day where things need to be done and you do your best to get it all done.

Some special days you are awestruck by the beauty around you and the blessings you have.

The other day I marveled at what a special little girl God has given to us. 

She's kind and funny.  She's sassy and smart.

She's sensitive but tough.  She worries about other people's feelings.

She cries when things don't go her way.

She loves art and dancing and babies.

She's fun to be with.

I would be lying if I said I never worried.

I want to keep her six...sweet and innocent and naive.

I don't want the world to get to her.

I give it up to God.

I pray for guidance to help her become a strong, confident woman.

I love every age she has been.

I look forward to every age she will become.

I imagine her at 10, 12, 16, 18...

I am excited for the wonderful life she has to create.

I love this girl...

...so very, very much.

I'm finished! :)

I'm excited to share with you the finished mural in my home.

It certainly was a labor of love... and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Hmmm...now what's next?  ;)

Happy Monday

It's always a happier week to start with Monday as a holiday, isn't it?
We had a family beach day yesterday and it was amazing.
I'm hoping to finish off my mural today...we'll see how that goes!

I made a couple of cute wooden houses.
They can be shelf sitters, or there is a hook on the back to hang as well.
I left the doors so I can customize them for you...house number or family name would be cute.
They measure approximately 12" x 15".

You can find them here.  :)

Happy Labor Day everyone!

Plaque Tutorial

I did a fun little project that is very easy and I thought I'd share the tutorial with you.

All you need are scraps of paper, a piece of wood (or canvas), some mod podge, and some paint.

 

I grabbed a piece of scrap wood and pulled out my scrapbooking papers.  I save all the leftover pieces.
I cut them in strips and just glued them on vertically using mod podge.
You could use any shape of paper, any size, and glue them any way you want.
Slightly overlap them and then do another coat of mod podge on top.

I used a brayer to push out any air bubbles.  You could also just use your finger or an old credit card.

Here it is with all the paper glued down.  I let it dry for about an hour.

 

 

For the next step I printed out my letters from the computer, cut them out, and traced them onto the board with a pencil.

You could always draw your own letters if you'd like.

 



 

After tracing your letters, paint around each one with white acrylic paint.

You could use any color you want, but white really makes the colors pop.

 

 

Paint the edges too for a unified look and you're done!

I wouldn't actually put this outside unless you give a good coat of sealer.

I love this project because it's quick and easy and there are so many possibilities!  :)

Rainy Monday

It's a dreary, rainy Monday here.
I'm grateful for a couple of hours of relaxation and reflection.
A little time to ponder and dream, to write and create.
Maybe a little laundry and cleaning too...:)
It's nice to put fun things first sometimes.

Have a happy Monday!

Back-to-school organization

I completed this project after pinning it awhile back.

(Please note:  The idea and credit links here.  The original woman who thought of this is an organizing genius and actually sells the children's calenders in her etsy shop.  I was trying to be frugal and I came up with my own.  )

To create a back-to-school organizing wall I bought one of these frames for each child. I bought the frames at IKEA.  I chose plexiglass instead of glass for safety issues and it works just as well as a dry erase board.

I just kind of eyeballed where to place everything.  I wanted each one to have the child's name, a weekly to-do and monthly calendar, a notes section, and a place to hang important papers from school.  I covered the backs of the frames with brown craft paper and used a glue stick to adhere the paper.

Then I put it back under the plexiglass and it's a great way for each child to know what they are doing each day of the week.

 

With four kids in different activities, three different schools, and stacks of paperwork for each child, this has really worked out well (for all of us).

 

 

 

 

We are running low on wall space around here, so I am getting more creative with it.

This hallway is down the kids hall and it may not be the prettiest thing, but it definitely serves its purpose well!  :)