Grumpy dough...

I feel like my household has been a little on the grumpy side lately, so I decided to make some playdough and add essential oils to it.

 I used wild orange, but any citrus blend like lemon, lime, grapefruit, or orange is very uplifting to energize the mind and body.  Sounded perfect for my family!

Gather your ingredients:
3 cups of flour (I used fresh milled hard white.  It's all I had.)
2 Tbsp oil
3/4 cup salt
3 Tbsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 cup boiling water
10-20 drops of essential oil
food coloring

1.  Start by stirring together your salt, flour, cream of tartar and oil in a large bowl.

2.  Add the boiling water and keep stirring till it gets a little stiff, then use your hands to knead mixture until it forms into dough.

3.  Once its mixed pretty good and has cooled down, add essential oil and food coloring.   Knead the dough until the dye is thoroughly mixed in.  It may take a bit of arm strength but keep it up!

Once your done, its playdough time for the whole family!  Let the giggles begin!

You could even use lavender essential oil to create a relaxing environment while your kids play.

Don't forget to store playdough in air tight container!

White as snow...

Here is a new piece I have been working on.  I love the simple clean lines of this piece so I felt like it screamed to me to use a clean color on it like white.  

Want to see the before? I love a make-over shot. (Excuse the mess in the background, I'm a messy crafter.)

It has a great little accent sides at the bottom for books or any accent piece you would like to add to make it your own.

I actually have two of these tables, the pair can be bought together at a discount or purchased separately.

Both pieces have been finished with a clear top coat to protect the paint from regular use and chipping.

This piece is priced at $45.50 each or both for $76.50.  If you need dimensions, let me know and I'll get that to you.  Both tables will heading to my booth in Newnan in a few weeks, so if you are interested please contact me soon, coleen@coleenverner.com.

Do you like the clean look of this? Would you have chosen a different color?

A New Path

This year started out with a bang! Truly it started full force in January, this journey with my son.  I am very thankful for it though.  It has definitely been a lot of work and tough times, but I am keeping faith in God and trusting Him to guide me each step.  He has shown up just as He always promises!

It started with a teacher conference.  I knew Jacob was going to be struggling with reading this year, so that was no surprise.  The surprise was when his teacher said he might be on the retention list, WHAT!  I had no idea it was that bad.  That is when our journey began.

I went through several meetings with school staff, teachers, and learning centers all while hearing words like dyslexia to ADHD to dairy intolerance having no idea about any of it.  I am not against medicines but I am not quick to use them either.  I knew this early in the process I did not want to put him on medication for ADHD.  I am not denying there is a problem with his focus and learning ability, just didn't want to put a band aid on a bullet wound.  I knew in my mommy gut that there was more going on with my son then just ADHD.  I knew I was going to be his only voice in this process.  I began to cry out in desperation to God to show me what direction to go, what are you showing me about Jacob in this process, what do You want me to do God.  All of these things went through my head everyday, everyday I was on my knees in prayer about them as well.  I am so glad I took this route slowly! Praise the Lord for showing me what He has.  God has never showed me more then one step at a time during this process and I know its because He is still working on me with my control issues.

I got to point of okay God so you don't want me to use medicine on him right now what do you want me to do???  Shortly after that moment He brought a friend to mind who was posting about how essential oils can help with your family.  I contacted her immediately to ask can essential oils help with ADHD.  That is when I was introduced to doTERRA essential oils.  I was reading all that I could get my hands on about essential oils and was amazed at the amount of people it was helping.  I was ready to try it.

I started small with using the essential oils.  Jacob was also fighting eczema, which was nothing new, but molluscum started in the fall.  After taking him to doctor that fall, I was told it will go away on its own after 6 months up to 1 1/2 years! I saw these little bumps go from about 10 to 50+ in a few months.  I thought there has to be an oil for that, there seems to be an oil for everything else and there was! I used clove oil diluted with almond oil, applied with Q-tip.  There are all almost gone!!!!  So it has been a month and I am happy to say we have about 5 left and they are so tiny!

My second use of the essential oils was for his eczema.  He had horrible patches all over his mid-section.  I began using lavender and meleluca diluted with almond oil and he is eczema free after 2 weeks!  I was sold out on doTERRA essential oils!  I wish I took before pictures, but just didn't think to do that till last week and it was too late cause most ailments were gone!

Next step was to work on his focus ability and figure out what would work best to help him with ADHD.  I started with Balance on his feet and InTune on his spine and neck.  After a week of morning and night use, I thought I was seeing progress but no one else had mentioned a difference.  I prayed again asking God to let me know if I am wasting my time or on the right track.  A day later, after picking Jacob up from his Sunday school, his teacher told me how wonderful he was that day, he was so calm and even lead the group in prayer.  I cried! I knew that was God letting me know I was on the right track!

The next week we all got a cold and it traveled through the whole family.  Jacob got it the worst as usual.  His settles in his chest and he will have a horrible cough and boogers like crazy!!!  I treated all that with essential oils, nothing more!  After a few days he woke up one night complaining his ear hurt.  Another ear infection, I treated it completely with essential oils; meleluca, basil, and lavender drops on cotton ball placed in ear.  It was gone in a day! This stuff is CRAZY!!!!!

After all that I keep thinking why does he create so much mucus.  It seems so much worse then the rest of us.  This is when I began to hear over and over "dairy intolerance".  As I began to research more and more, I was stunned and how much of the list for dairy intolerance was a dead ringer for problems Jacob was having: seasonal allergies, eczema, brain fog, ADHD, ear infections, poor immune system to name a few things.  He has all of them!  I was stunned! So we are in the process of no dairy for him.  We are going into week 3 now and things are looking great!  I have begun to use essential oils for his seasonal allergies and so far so good!  They are not in full force where we live yet but they are starting.  I am using a combo of lavender, lemon, and peppermint.   Praying the no-diary diet and essential oils will make all the difference for him this year!

We are not at the end of this journey and things on the list have not been dismissed, but I have seen HUGE improvements in him.  I know it has been because of prayer and doTERRA oils.

Want to know more about doTERRA essential oils? Feel free to ask me!  I am early in my learning process but they have been working wonders on our family.  If I don't know the answer I will find out for you! Ready to order some oils now, click here!

Chevron craze...

Are you chevron crazy like I am now?  It such a modern, yet fun pattern.  Totally digging it everywhere in my house!

These chevron jute table runners are the perfect accent for your breakfast, dinning, or console table, maybe even an entry way table.  Really they can be used anywhere; rearranged and reused all throughout your home for any time of year

Perfect to use with your Easter table setting!

The measurement on all of them are as follows: depth of 16" and a length of 79".

I only have one available in each color listed (red, black, green, turquoise), so once they are gone that's all she wrote.

The price for these are $22.50 each.  Email me at coleen@coleenverner.com if you are interested! These will be joining my caravan to Newnan in a few weeks. 

(BTW, the green and turquioise have a ripple effect because I just unrolled them.  You can see with the red and black the ripples work themselves out after a few days.)

Little black accent...

Did that little black piece of furniture to the left in this photo catch your eye last week?  That is what is featured today.

This will make a great book or magazine holder.  I'm tempted to keep this one for myself, but honestly I have no where to put it.  I really need another magazine holder like I need a hole in my head. :)

It has a simple distress look everywhere expect for the sides.  I decided to go a little heavier with the distressing there and very glad I did.

I also finished it with a clear top coat to protect the paint from regular use and chipping.

This piece is priced at $29.50.  If you need dimensions, let me know and I'll get that to you.  This will be heading to my booth in Newnan in a few weeks, so if you are interested please contact me soon, coleen@coleenverner.com.

Where would you put this piece in your house and what would you use it for?

Grey goes with everything...

You might remember the yellow desk from last week.  Well, here is the chair that was pictured with it.

It has the same distressed look as the desk and the same clear top coat to protect the finish.  These two pieces would look great together or if you already have your own desk, the chair is grey so it will coordinate with anything!

The chair is priced at $45.50.  If you need dimensions, let me know and I'll get that to you.  The chair will also be heading to my booth in Newnan in a few weeks with the desk, so if you are interested in this piece please contact me soon, coleen@coleenverner.com.

I would love to know what you think?!?!  Are you a fan of the color grey?

Little piece of sunshine...

I am soooooo pleased with how this desk turned out!  Here is the before shot:

Here is another.  LOL, check out my little cone head buddy in the background on the left.

Totally digging the yellow.  It is bright and airy just in time for spring.

The desk is yellow obviously and distressed perfectly.  I also finished it with a clear top coat to protect the paint from regular use and chipping. Here are a few more shots below.  

This piece is priced at $145.50.  If you need dimensions, let me know and I'll get that to you.  The desk will be heading to my booth in Newnan in a few weeks, so if you are interested please contact me soon, coleen@coleenverner.com.

I would love to know what you think?!?!  Do you like the yellow or just not your cup of tea?

Are you running to a wall?

I decided to read Hagar's story this morning.

I wanted to see in the Bible Genesis 16:13.

NIV - She gave this name to The Lord who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me,' for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me."

ESV - So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, "You are a God of seeing," for she said, "Truly here I have seen him who looks after me."

MSG -  She answered God by name, praying to God who spoke to her, "You're the God who sees me! Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!"

Hagar's life was in distress.  She was pregnant with no husband or family to care for her.  Her mistress, Sarai, was angry and mistreating her, so Hagar ran away.  She ran away from all the hardship and pain in her life, wanting to start a new life somewhere else.  Just needing to get away from it all and get a break from the stress that was in her life in that very moment.  It felt too much for her to handle. Man, I can TOTALLY relate to that!

There are many times I just want to run away, cut all ties and get out of dodge!  I get that feeling that God doesn't see me and see my needs and wants.  He seems to give me the opposite of what I'm asking for.  I'm at a place now I just want to run and start a new, tired of the pit of mud I feel I'm sinking in.  I want to flee from the harshness of life (verse 6).  Keep reading cause the next verse sums it all up for those of us wanting to flee.

Genesis 16:7 "The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur."

When we are fleeing from our troubles, trying to get away from it all to the wilderness, desert, or place of solitude, make sure you park your troubles by the spring of water, the living water that is Jesus Christ.  There He is waiting for you to run to a place of solitude not by yourself, but run to a place of solitude with Him, so He can refresh your soul.  He sees you and your troubles.  He knows you are running and He is there waiting for you.

John 4:14 But whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never be thirsty again.  The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

I looked up what Shur means, that was the place Hagar was on her "way to" verse 7.  Shur means wall. WOW, she was fleeing hardships only to flee to a wall.  The Lord stopped her from hitting that wall. He arrived at just the right time as He always does.  In this moment, Hagar realizes she is not alone, she has not been forgotten.  He is a God who sees her and her troubles.  He is a God who sees you and your troubles.  He is a God who sees me and my troubles.

Genesis 16:13 So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, "You are a God of seeing," for she said, "Truly here I have seen him who looks after me."

Let's step back just a few verses.  Before all this realization happens for Hagar, read verse 9.

Genesis 16:9 The angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress and submit to her."

OUCH!!! I want to grumble to the Lord in this very moment.  This is also a moment of some irony as well, since I just taught a lesson to my kids this morning before school about obedience without grumbling.  How Abraham obeyed God without grumbling or complaining when the Lord asked him to sacrifice Issac. OUCH again!!!

Philippians 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or questioning.

I am called to return and submit.  That is a really large pill for me to swallow right now.  Why is God asking me to do this because my whole being wants to flee and run in the opposite direction He is telling me to go.  Oops, there is the questioning. :)  Take a deep breathe then keep reading back to verse 13.  I can return to whatever I'm fleeing from, walking refreshed and tall to what God is calling me to do because God is a God who sees me and looks after me.  He is the same God for you as well!

This is all very hard or maybe even feels impossible to do because you haven't fully, completely put your trust in Him. You have to do that first before you can obey without grumbling.  You have to trust He sees you in all your struggles and pain.  You have to trust He loves you and only wants the best for you.  You have to put your trust in Him, ALL of it, so that when He calls you to what seems impossible, you can obey without grumbling because you have trust in your Father who adores you.

Fall is HERE!!!

I can never explain how wonderful fall makes me feel! 

It is the time of year I over load myself and my family with all things pumpkin flavored.  We also make our annual trip to the apple orchid in North Georgia several weeks ago.  I finally finished organizing the photos.  We make a FFF (Forced Family Fun) day of it, although it's not forced to much at this age. 

There are definitely moments that feel like torture which you will see in some of the photos but over all it goes down in our family history as a fun day!  

WARNING, This is a picture heavy post!

We road the hayride out to the orchid and started picking! I made the family pause for picture first, then I let them start picking of course.

Then made the family pause for a couple more and this is what I get. LOL! They are such a mess!

This orchid is sooooo pretty! I love it here!

Since I'm rarely in photos and Rachel is old enough to be trusted with the camera, I asked her to take a picture of me and Daddy.  While I was getting the settings just the way I wanted, this is what I got in between.  He is a mess!

Finally a decent pic!

Well that was short lived!

Daddy photo bomb! It didn't work on Rachel though. She knows he is usually up to no good. :)

We got our loot and ready to take the hayride back to the front store to get a treat!

One last aggravation before we load onto the trailer.

Jacob loves those HUGE pickles in the jars. We got him one to share among the kids.

We got our mini fried pies and headed out front to sit and enjoy.  Daddy got a chocolate, Jacob and Ashley got apple, Rachel got peach, and I got pumpkin.  Boy are those pies good!

Yep all our little bowls looked like this!

Ashley wanted a turn with the camera, then Daddy, then Jacob.   Jacob got into it and took LOTS of photos and moved around to get different angles.  LOL!

  

Jacob was too cute and I had to get a shot with my phone.

Then he got REALLY close for a close up shot. Back up a little boy! :)

Time to walk around the store and get our apple cider slushy cause it was warm that day, then play on the tractor.

Finished up at the orchid.  It's time for our Bar-B-Q lunch! This is NOT a fave food for our kids so you can imagine the moans and groans when this time arrived.  We found a some perks for them while we ate there though.

"Children are a blessing from the Lord." HA, I have to repeat this verse in those hard moments when kids just wont cooperate. 

On the way home, we found a jewel of a pumpkin patch! It was the perfect way to end the day.  This was the first time we have ever been here, but will definitely be on your routine stop in the years to come!

Their pumpkins were HUGE! The whole farm was a lot of fun!

I will definitely be making a sign like this for our house next to the front door!

Kids are always saying "in the olden days" or "old timey" to describe history so this tree made us crack up laughing because this is a real name for that tree.

Every pumpkin patch should have a Corn Cannon, don't ya think!

Don't know if you can see this this photo, but Rachel was aiming for the bucket that said FREE POPCORN. She was going to get that for her Daddy, but it ended up in the tree on the right side of the photo.  HA! 

Next was the Corn Maze!

They let us have a map to help us find our way.

We made it out of the maze.  Now it's time to pick the perfect pumpkin for our porch!

This picture about sums it up! on the other side was the front of the animals.  As we were walking out Ashley saw that and said we used the wrong side.  Daddy said "No, honey, we used the right side for this nutty family!" Tru Dat!

There was also a butterfly garden that Ashley thought was so cool.  She was touching all the butterflies by using her sneaky skills.

Jacob said he would make sure the pumpkin doesn't roll around for us on the ride home. Sweet boy!

Then he told the pumpkin "I've got my eye on you!" We were rolling with laughter.  That kid is too much sometimes.  

Molly helped me set up the pumpkins on the porch after we arrived home.

Enjoy!