UPDATE & {THE COUNTRY LIVING FAIR}

I know, it's been FOREVER since I have posted here! We have been busy, busy, busy. As most of you know I did take up the art of photography and am now getting paid for it. It's exciting! I also have some toddler skirts & dresses hanging out in Jerome, Arizona at a little shop called Magdelena's Bazaar.

So, onto some photos of what's been going on in the Maddox world. Something I've been so anxious to start....... redecorating mi casa!! I have started with the kitchen. I wanted a retro feel. Think red and white. Like back in the day when strawberries were a popular kitchen motif. I have had the best time looking for old kitchen linens at the antique store!! The biggest change was the black dining table chairs that I painted RED! Then the barstools I changed to white with a laminated cotton fabric. Thata way spills can be cleaned up with ease!

Picking green tomatoes to freeze for the winter!

Then there was the COUNTRY LIVING FAIR. Ok, I just love that magazine so I knew that I would go crazy when I got to the fair in Columbus Ohio! It was pretty awesome! Here are just a few photos of what we saw.

Even the lemonade stand was over the top! How cute is this!?!

My bestie Jen. These skirts were the cutest things ever, but $80.00...wow!

The crowd was pretty insane!!

A Trip To Brown County

With a little summer break we decided to take a short trip over to Nashville Indiana. Too bad we picked two of the hottest days of the year! I believe the heat index for our stay was over 100*!! To our excitement we found a lodge inside the state park that had a small water area for the kids to play in! They had a blast splashing around & going down the water slide over & over & over again. I some how managed to get a few photos before we headed home. We can't wait to go back this fall when the weather is a cooler!

STOP!! It's a flea market!!

Ok, so just call me Miss.Flea Market Junkie. I love, love the deals and the character that is in everything old. Like the wrinkles on a blanket or an old persons skin. It add so much depth to the surface. Like they say, things get better with age. I've realized that appreciating all things old is a pretty good quality to have. Anyway I just wanted to share a pic of my road-side-sale find. It was $5.00 and is now the new house for all my threads!!

Just Believe, Just Do.

I love this so much I had to share. I also am in need of pouring a little bit of my heart, and mind, out. In hopes that you all might actually take the time to read this and be so kind as to leave some encouraging words or helpful hints??? Pretty please. I could put it to good use. :)


You know how the older that you get you realize just how fast your life can change? In a moment, one minute your day is just as ordinary as any other then all the sudden the phone rings, or an e-mail comes through, and your day took a "one eighty". Well, I kinda feel like that has happened to me in the past couple weeks. It has brought some WONDERFUL news and exciting new opportunities!! My question to myself has been how does a mother of a one & three year old juggle the wants, needs, & demands? Don't get me wrong, this is one of the most blessed and greatest problems I have ever had. I actually am falling in love with this problem. Hehe!!


I kinda stumbled slowly into this photography thing and then went head over heels with it at lightening speed! Friends and family kept encouraging me to "take up photography", my response was always "NO. Not another hobby!!" Well, a holiday weekend I took some pics and that was all she wrote! So here I am taking pics of anything that moves and loving every minute of it!! On top of that I actually have people that want to pay me $$$ to do their pics!! That in it self makes my heart melt!! So, then I have this other little thing I like to do, SEW! I have really taken that slowly because my family is in a stage that they need me and I do not want to miss this time with my kids. But sewing, I have to say, is my first love. Well, I got a call saying that this cute little boutique in Jerome, Arizona (awesome place) wanted to look (as in touch, feel, see in person!!) some of my things!!! I think I was in such shock that I got a lump in my throat and I kinda didn't believe it!! Anyway I need to get cooking and sew up the most awesome things I have ever made in my life! I want my creations to be in Arizona, in a boutique, selling like hot cakes.:)


So here are the thoughts that race through my mind when I go to bed, when I wake up, when I do the dishes, etc. "How can I find the time to sew mass amounts of clothes & bags and keep the house clean, laundry done, healthy meals cooked, spend quality summer time outside with the kids, sleep, give baths, change diapers, potty train, paci break, have time with my husband, extreme coupon, grocery shop,take pictures, edit pictures, and above ALL keep my God first in everything I do??" As I type this I think I answer my own question. I feel like God dealt with me awhile back when I was having similar thoughts on how to "find time". That is it.....Keep God first in every day and he will make time for all else. Things will fall into place. He will give me energy and motivation to keep up. He will open the windows of Heaven & poor out blessings on my day. Alright, thanks for reading my rant and I still would love to hear what ya'll think. The opinions of others is something I can use to build off of.


xoxo-Michelle


P.S. Here is a little peek at my new baby girl dress. You think I should send one of these to Arizona???

Jemima Puddle-Duck & Sir Isaac Newton

On one of our many rain filled spring days Todd went out to check on the chickens & goats. Of course the babies wanted to tag along so we put their mud-boots on and out they went. Isabelle had just gotten dressed for the day in a cute little sweater dress and Isaac in nice jeans & a t-shirt. After about 20 minutes I hear my dear husband yell for me to come look out the front door. This is what I found. It was one of those moments where we just looked at each other and laughed.

Beatrix Potter is my favorite children's author & illustrator. Isabelle's room is decorated with many Potter characters. So Todd found it fitting to nick-name her Jemima Puddle-Duck & I guess the name for Isaac would be Potter's Sir Isaac Newton.

After the clothes came off and momma was getting a bath ready Isaac decided that Thomas needed to take a dip in the mud puddle.

I think I will try a bite of this mulch!

Ewww, Yuck!!

Ewww, Ahhhhh

So I thought I would share some things that get me to gasp and say, "ewwww, I LOVE that!!" There are so many things that inspire me to sew, bake, decorate, etc. etc. One of the many things are blogs and web-sites that display beautifully captured photographs. So here are just a few photos that inspire me to do what I do. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!!
May I add that most of the above pics come from some of my favorite Etsy stores! I encourage you to shop & buy Etsy!! Handmade is a great thing to support. I will post links to these shops soon.

Quilt Fest

So Jen & I headed out to our first ever quilt festival last week. I was so excited for so many months waiting for hundreds of other woman that like to sew to be gathered into the same building. It was neat to see and I completely enjoyed myself, but it wasn't what I was expecting. I took a few snap-shots (where I was allowed to) of some of my favorite vendors. I think Jen & I were probably the youngest ladies there, or as we were referred to the whole night, "girls". Hehe!!

Found this awesome painting on Etsy. I LOVE this saying!!

Vintage trinkets! I was wanting more of this, but this was only one booth.:(

I Walked In & Fell In Love!!

So my best girlfriend & I took a girl's trip to Arizona. Don't ask how that happened, because I myself can't even comprehend it. Some how things came together out of the blue and it happened. It was one of the best things I have ever done in my life. Yes, I am serious. I cried a few times when I called home and Todd would tell me stories about the kids. I missed my husband so, so bad. The time away made the appreciation for my life & family grow deeper. That it's ok to want some "alone" time every now & then. Because in that "alone" time it gives you a chance to realize all that is so very important and what really matters to you. So, thank you husband, kids, and mother for making my "alone" time possible!

While in Sedona Jen & I visited The Hummingbird House ( a quaint little store) and they had rooms with different themes. Jen rounded the corner and before I could even see what this room beheld she said, "oh, you're gonna LOVE this room!!" And, I did!!! Here it is.

Amazing isn't it!?!?! And here is a peek of what is on the outside. So beautiful!

All The Pretty Faces

I was going through some photos and realized these deserved to be entered into the blog! These two faces are the wonder that I get to see everyday. They are our blessings from God. I truly feel like they came special ordered straight from Heaven. Thank you God!

Here is the Christmas Card pic we went with~~

Lights, Camera, Action!

So here is my attempt at getting that "perfect" Christmas card picture. Let's just say the kids wanted to eat starburst and "undecorate" the tree instead of pose for any sort of picture. When it was all said & done, or shall I say when I decided to give up on the "perfect" picture, I had worked up a sweat. Here are some out takes. Merry Christmas All!!

Much Love~

Michelle