Heaven is a Dance Floor

Our God is a party throwing God. He celebrates when we come to Him. He rejoices with us. Isn't that what worship really is? Us falling at the feet of Jesus in celebration of what He has done, what He has given us. He meets us in that place.

In the years since I have been saved I have often felt left out by those around me partying. By radically changing my life for Christ, I had left behind a lot... I thought.

 

As I walked into the Chris Tomlin concert, I was reminded that the life of partying wasn't taken from me. It was altered. It was made better.

Louie Giglio shared at the concert and spoke the words I was needing to hear. "Our God is a party throwing God. We, as Christians, have left the partying to the world but we have so much more to celebrate."


While hanging out with my husband and friends at the concert I realized that's what we were doing. Transparent Productions, a promotions agency who brings Christian artist all over the nation, threw a rager of a party and God met us there.

The music was phenomenal. Chris Tomlin is even better live than on the radio. The crowd was on fire. Laughing, dancing and having fun. This place was filled with worship. It was a party like no other I have ever seen.

 

Transparent Productions went above and beyond. They produced this concert, that not only filled the amphitheater with great music and a whole lot of fun but set up a place for us to meet with The Lord. To be reminded of His greatness and promises. I cannot wait for the next show. I cannot wait to see what God has in store, how He will use Transparent and their artists to move each of us.

I am so thankful for companies like Transparent Productions for giving us this place to worship. To party alongside each other, before our God. They have a few shows coming up too!


First, the Hillsong United Concert in Los Angeles on Friday June 7, 2013. It is at the Hollywood Bowl and starts at 8 PM. You can get some info and buy tickets here... I may have cried when I realized I couldn't make it to this one. I'll blame the preggo hormones but between you and me, I was just really upset to miss it.

I will however be attending FISH Fest on June 29, 2013, at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine California.  Go here to get your tickets and any info. Tickets go on sale today (May 3rd). Be sure to get 'em fast. Oh, and if you plan to go, let me know. I would love to meet you all in real life!!


Whether you are in So Cal or live far away, check out Transparent Productions. Find a show by you. You will NOT be disappointed. Pinky Promise.

 Get info on:

Their website 

Or Follow them on:

Twitter  | Facebook  | Instagram

Now go buy your tickets to FISH Fest! I want to see you there!


“This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Transparent Productions but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #BurningLights   http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.”

80's Dance Party

A couple weeks ago we celebrated our little man's first birthday with an 80's dance party. I must say it was pretty rad.

The decor was of course centered around 80's pop culture. Cassettes, neon colors and flashy prints were everywhere. The cassette idea was found over at Practically Living. We simply bought old cassettes from a thrift store and hung them with fishing line. Pac Man covered our walls. And to set the mood for dancing we covered our lights with colored cello paper.

We themed our dessert table around 80's toys. Slinky's that acted as a mini backdrop. Rubix cubes and 80's themed chocolates covered the table. And can you just pause to take a look at that cake and candy. It was all done by my amazing friend Tasha over at Tasha-Ann's Sweet Treats.

All of the food was authentic Dominican Cuisine. I will be sharing recipes soon because seriously, you won't be able to live without it! YUM!!!!

Everything about the party was upbeat and fun. The biggest hit? Our 80's photo booth. I found the fabric at Ikea and made a backdrop. We threw together a few props and set up some lighting and a camera with remote for people to take their pictures. It was a blast.

Almost everyone came dressed in 80's attire and it was pretty awesome.

Our little man had an amazing time. I wish I could show you the pictures of him. Pure joy.

Strollers are Scary

I have a confession. One I am hesitant to admit.

I am scared of having baby number four. I don't hesitate to admit it because it is shameful but because I know so many women who would give anything to be pregnant. I do not mean to offend anyone or hurt anyone as I tease myself about my fear.

That being said. I am scared y'all! Not all the time. Mostly just today.

I had the initial shock fear when we found out we were expecting. This little dude was not planned. Don't take that as he was an accident. We look at it as a surprise little blessing. I have always wanted a big family. Always! I come from a big family and I love it. This just wasn't how we planned it. God is so funny :)

That shock and fear of having four kids four and under (while being called to do foster care) wore off pretty quickly. I grew excited of the idea of the two youngest being GULP 15 months apart. And then today happened.

We have been shopping around for strollers. The stroller I really want is this one:

Valco with Accessories

A Valco double stroller with a Joey seat for baby and a hitchhiker for my four year old. No big deal. Remove the attachments when they aren't needed. Add them back on as we get more foster kiddos. Bam. Handled.

Then I put it in a shopping cart. And holy cuss word!

So the shopping continued. And we quickly realized something more like a Foundations quad would be more in the budget. Great stroller, not my first pick but it's awesome with good reviews. I can deal with a 50-70lb (before kids seated) stroller. That's not the scary part.

Foundations

Want to know what's scary? Every one of those seats will be filled. Every. Single. One.

I (semi)-jokingly asked my friend Stefani, if she would raise one for me. I'd even give her one of the boys to counter-balance her 3 girls. She quickly reminded me that we were the crazies, not her. And I was snapped back to reality.

All y'all having 4 kids spread out over the years are the crazy ones not me. Within 5 years of eachother every one of my kids will be moving on out while yours are watching you age. Haha.

My future

But seriously, if I have to push this thing around, send me to the looney bin.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Looking back about 5 years ago, I can remember in detail the feelings and I thoughts I had when the ultrasound tech told us that we would be having a girl.

There were so many flashes of our future and all the sweet events we would have. Her first day of school, her first date and prom, her graduation and wedding.

Last weekend we had one of those firsts that this mommy dreamed about. Rhiannon had her first little sleepover.

It is bitter sweet watching your kids grow up. Your relationship and bond changes gradually as they become more independent. I love seeing my girl mature and grow. I hate the thought of her growing up. She is not a baby anymore.

Oh, but the fun you can have with a sweet little girl.

Crafting time.

Junk Food.

Make-overs

And Fashion Shows

Open for business.

{image source}

Last week I had to close the shop. Remember that?

I hate doing that.

I hate turning away potential long term customers. Killing potential relationships built. Not getting you what you came looking for.

Hate. Hate. Hate.

You get the point.

We reevaluated. We looked at where we are, not only in this business but at this season of life. We already hired a seamstress. What more could we do? Could we afford more assistance? Then you guys e-mailed. You NEEDED the shop reopened. You needed gifts and favors and products. You needed us open.

So we took another leap of faith. We hired another seamstress. You may have seen the call on our fan pages. I was shocked with the response. I thought I would be lucky to get one application. I got several. I thought the decision would be easy. We had some seriously talented people we had to sift through.

In the end we found someone who we feel is the perfect addition. We are thrilled. We are not overwhelmed. We have re-opened the shop!

Unfortunately, we still have been too busy playing catch up to actually photograph items before they leave to their new homes. So you will have to bear with us as we gradually swap those out.

I promise that soon eventually we will restock with some new clutch designs and fun products that have been in the works. For now, head on over and purchase your princess aprons! A little birdie as been running it's mouth that there will be 4 more princess' added soon.

At the rate we are headed, we may even be lowering the turnaround time and in the next few months we hope to get back to being a ready to ship shop. How cool would that be?

We look forward to your continued support and business. Thanks again!

-The Vessel Handmade Team

Joy Overwhelming

It has been a while since I have blogged about our foster care journey. It is difficult to find words to share here that will not get us into trouble. There are lots and lots of things we can't share, which is why if you follow us on instagram or facebook, you have grown rather familiar with the back of our Little Man's head. Haha.

What I can share here is how I am feeling. I am overwhelmed. Now I say that and I know where your mind went. You guys, I am not talking busy, even though I am. I am not talking about fear, even though it rises. I am talking about joy. I am talking about blessings.

I want to preface all of this by saying, foster care is not an easy road. It is not all rainbows and unicorns. It is tough. I think about the way my little man acts in the hours or days following a visit and it is saddening. I think about the twists and turns in his case that make it appear that he may go home and it's scary. Being a foster mom can be really hard at times.

But oh the joy.

Each milestone is so exciting. Watching these sweet babies overcome is exhilirating. Knowing that God is using us to help heal these babies is an honor.

Each trial has taught us to rely more and more on the Lord. Our relationship with Him has grown so so much. He is the rock that keeps us standing.

I have heard so many times, by so many people, things like "I could never do what you are doing", "I don't know how you do it". People, do you know who you are talking to? I am the girl who said she couldn't wait to adopt but would NEVER do foster care. I can not do this alone. I am only able to do this because of God. I am, oh so  thankful that He pulled me from that place of fear and equipped me. This life, although challenging brings us so much joy. Joy overwhelming.

I wish that in this spot, I could post a picture of our little man's smile. He moves people. He does something to you. There is something about him...something no one can resist. God is using him. God has a plan. He has a had a plan for this child since before he called us to be his foster parents. God is using us in mighty ways. I am not saying that to boast but to tell you that this road is not all pain and sorrow, it is not all challenges. In fact, most days have no pain, no hardships, just joy.

I have heard a lot lately about kids who are being detained (removed from their parent's care) and have no where to go. There are not enough homes. The stories have been heart wrenching. So many of you have e-mailed me and said you wished you could take them. You wish you could do this.

I am here to tell you, you can! I never thought I could. I never thought I had it in me. But the love for these children takes away all those inabilities. The love of Christ in us overpowers the fear. That's not to say fears will disappear. They are still there, for me at least. What I am saying, is that our God is bigger than our fears. He is able when we are not.

My biggest fear outside of "losing" a child while doing this was loving the parents. <---- Did you know God calls us to do that to? Craziness, right? I'm kidding. Kind of.

Last week after our visit, bio dad said "God Bless you" as he walked out of the room. Because I fought my human self and desire to dislike them, because I chose to love as Christ would love, this man, who weeks earlier wouldn't speak a word to my husband or I, asked God to bless me. I don't know how much he meant those words but I can tell you what they meant to me. Joy. Our God is so big. He is changing hearts and lives. Whether this man changes or not, I know that God has begun moving in him. What greater joy than to know the Lord and to show Him to others.

I don't know where I am trying to go with this post. Maybe one of you needed to hear this. Maybe one of you has had doubts as to whether or not you could do this or if God could use you in this way. Maybe you just needed to hear that it isn't all pain. Maybe you needed just a little push to make the big jump. If that's the case, would you please e-mail me? I would love to speak with you.

Chevron Quilt {Part Three}

How are your quilt tops and backs looking? Have you all completed them? If so, it is time for our next step. Quilting, eeek!!!

When I originally started this quilt, I thought for sure that I would do some free hand quilting. Guess what? I'm a chicken. So we went with a stencil. Let's not get ahead of ourselves though. Before we can quilt, we have to secure our layers together.

Rhiannon loves a nice snuggly blanket so I knew I needed to put some batting between the top and back. Since we live in California and it doesn't get all that cold here, I chose to use a low loft batting. To adhere my layers, I start by laying the batting on the floor and the quilt top on top of it. Pull back half of the batting and spray a washable adhesive, smooth it out and do the other half. Repeat this step for the backing. Use 12million safety pins to hold it together. You can be a risk taker like I am sometimes and skip the pins and count on that good ol' adhesive but I make no promises on it holding together.


Next step, take a deep breath. It's time to quilt. Since I chickened out on the freehand stuff, I grabbed a stencil and traced a scallop pattern, starting at each corner and working my way in on each side.

Once the tracing is done, you can simply follow those lines with your machine...using a quilting foot of course. This quilt was a twin size and was a little bit of a challenge to move but you will be able to handle it...with minimal cursing. Ha!

In the bottom of the image below you can see what the quilting will look like on each side. Once it is complete, you will need to cut away any excess fabric. This will prevent bulking while adding your bias.

Now that you are about finished, it is time to bind the quilt. You will first need to attach a few pieces of your binding. My quilt took about three strips. To attach these, you will want to open up the pieces, facing the wrong sides together, cut them diagonally. Next you will turn them right sides together. They will look angled, for a lack of better word. Stitch them together and fold them back up. 

Line your binding up with your quilt and start stitching about 6 inches down from the top of the binding. You will need the extra binding in order to attach it at the end. Follow around the quilt until you reach a corner. I have a hard time directing this and the photos didn't turn out as clear as I would have liked. So, I am simply going to direct you to Cluck Cluck Sew, her tutorial is fab. Do that.

Ummm...you guys we are done. We have complete quilts. If you have followed this tutorial, PLEASE send me a picture. I would love to see what you did. Oh you want to see this one? Here is is....

  I am in love with this quilt and the room is beautiful. We will be showing off the room as soon as it is complete...hopefully before we add the new babies stuff to it. Then we can show you the changes :)

By the way, if you are just tuning in, you can find the first two portions on the tutorial here:

{Part 1}

{Part 2}