A Friday night around here: Pickles and Creating

To me, making it to the end of a week is worth celebrating! 

I've had so many different schedules over the last two years-cleaning schedules, laundry schedules, exercise schedules (well, sort of).  It seems to be a revolving door of schedules around here!  Lately I've been focusing on laundry on Mondays and Tuesdays, cleaning on Wednesdays and Thursdays (after the girls are in bed), and then by Friday I'm ready to do something fun. 

 Cleaning is not my fun. I love the feel of a clean house but don't get a thrill from the sound of the mop brushing across the floor.  In fact, I'm usually writing a blog post or random writing thoughts in my head WHILE I'm cleaning. But, my first duty (even above crafts) is my house and my family.  So I gladly clean. 

One Friday night recently I thought I'd take some inspiration from my friend Naomi.  She's a creative soul like myself and had given me the tiniest painted rock.  It had layers of paint on it and said "shine on".  Gorgeous little rock!  It makes me smile every time I see it.  I'd looked for some smooth rocks in our driveway and in the creek and found some to paint.  And boy did I paint!  

Mine didn't end up looking quite like I wanted.  The paint almost seemed too thick and gloppy.  But, you never know until you experiment.  I'll have to try again soon, perhaps with a different kind of paint. (any suggestions?)

I also worked on my smash journal a little more, trying this and that.  Lately I've been trying to learn different techniques, other than just sticking magazine pages down.  Which is a find place to start by the way, if you're not used to journaling!  There is almost nothing that relaxes me more than being in my craft room, puttering around.  Moving from one creative book to another, colored pencils or paint nearby, ready to grab.  Trying this and that.  Relaxing, breathing.  Creating, making. 

Brett is a creative soul as well, whether he knows it or not.  His creativity just usually shows up in different places than mine.  In the kitchen for example, he can mix and match, toss a bit of all the right things together and come up with magic.  (sounds like my friends Naomi and her mama Shannon-MAGIC in the kitchen I tell ya!)  This is not my gifted area, and I'm okay with that. 

So while I was puttering away in the craft room, Brett was busy slicing and dicing.  Mixing and boiling, concocting beautiful jars of pickles from ordinary garden cucumbers.

He used a packet of spices from the produce section. Afterall-we don't always have to reinvent the wheel to reach perfection do we?  These pickles are delicious.  They are oh, so tangy and salty.  Juicy and a little crisp.  Fresh.  Anna Ruth eats them like candy! 

{What does a Friday night look like around your house?}

An impromptu photo shoot with Betsy Grace

We're on a pretty good routine around here.  Usually both girls will nap at the same time in the afternoon and go down at close to the same time at night.  It's when I clean, jog, breathe, eat a snack in quiet, blog, and read.  It's quiet, it's still.  Relaxing even.

But when my heart leaps the tallest is when my girls are up.  When we're playing, laughing, and having sweet little conversations.  One afternoon Betsy Grace awoke before I expected her to.  When I only had one baby I probably would have been annoyed at that, thinking it was "my" time.  (silly really-once you're a mama all your time is somebody else's time too!)  But now that I have two babies I understand the importance of sneaking moments here and there to get one-on-one time with each girl. 

Betsy Grace is at the age where you can easily play with her and delight her and still get great pictures at the same time.  She thinks the camera is a toy! (Anna is not at this age anymore!)

I was letting her play on our bed here.  The lighting is fantastic in our bedroom, almost all day.  The girls love to play on our bed, and it's something we don't mind letting them do.  Betsy has crumbs here and there on her, she's drooly, and just so BETSY.  :) 

I love little impromptu photo shoots like this one.  They capture the everyday moments, the cheese left on the shirt that you might not remember later, the smile so big that gums get smashed together,

the one little tooth, those brown eyes gazing into mine.  

I'm so glad I took this time with my gal! 

{What sweet moment have you captured lately?}

Recent features.

(photo credit from Stampington.com)

Have you heard of the magazines published by Stampington?  I just adore them.  Artful Blogging, Mingle, and Somerset Life are just a few of my favorites.  They're magazines about all my favorite things-blogging, crafting, creative souls, writing, good photography.  The list goes on. 

They always take reader submissions and I'm honored to say this month I've been featured on their blog and in the magazine, Artful Blogging under the "Banners We Love" section! 

A couple of months ago they had a short story contest on their blog for the two pictures above.  You could pick one to write about and I chose the picture on the left.  I'm surprised and happy to say out of quite a few entries I was one of the top three winners!  My poem is on their blog, found here.  Or you can read it below! My prize was getting to pick out a Stampington publication!  Their magazines cost $15 and are made more like a book.  I was thrilled to get to pick one out I'd had my eye on.  

God delighted me with this win. 

Red To Remember

By Sara Torbett

Red to remember and red to spark strength.

Toy cars to zoom,
two small hands to wonder.

Innocent conversations and questions galore,
“Grandma, who do you wear your red for?”

“I wear it to remember,
when I was young and carefree.
I used to dance in circles and laugh,
want to see?”

Curious eyes wondering how,
Grandma could choose to laugh right now.
Old and nimble, and frail as could be,
could red stand for a joy that was wild and free?

Laughter breaking, squeals of child’s delight.
Red on her nails, love in plain sight.

Red to remember,
the passion inside,
that an old frail body simply can’t hide.

{DIY} String up a TENT

One morning we got up and I just knew our day was going to behold something special, something great.  Immediately my mind thought "string up a tent" (I'm sure this is a normal thought..) 

I've had this pink vintage sheet stuffed and stored in my craft room for quite some time, just waiting to make it's famous debut at the farm.   I decided a tent would do just fine.  It couldn't get any easier, wrap some string, rope, or whatever you have on hand around two trees.  

Lay your blanket, quilt (which would be even dreamier), or sheet, over the rope and anchor it down on both sides.  We used big native stones from the farm.  

Next, add props inside to your heart's desire. Quilts, pillows, books, snacks....the sky is the limit. 

Anna Ruth and I both crawled inside this cozy tent, a little world all it's own. It was so cozy I laid on my side and she laid on her pillow while we read some books together (Betsy was napping).  It was relaxing, fun and easy.  So whimsical. I love being squished up next to my gal.  My girl with the piercing blue eye, sweaty hair, and heart always knocking at adventure's door.  

Afterwards we played in the playhouse and went for an icy, cold dip in the kiddie pool.  

This is summer at it's finest.

{In other business......Have you liked my Sunshine by Sara Facebook page yet?  Each Monday there's a special WEEKLY WELCOME giveaway or coupon code posted on the page!
You can check it out here:
Sunshine by Sara Facebook page
or visit my Etsy photography shop here:
Sunshine by Sara Etsy Shop}

Ranger Ride

Some of the sweetest, most favorite words of mine out of Brett's mouth are "Want to go for a ride on the Ranger?"  It is adventure, quality time, the good life, and outdoorsy all wrapped up in one.  

We decided to stay home on the 4th of July.  Sometimes, choosing to stay in turns out to be the strongest, most memorable moments of the season.  That was definitely the case this particular day.  We decided we'd celebrate the 4th with a bang, an extra case dose of BOLD, a dash of daring.  We took the ranger into the big leagues...and out on the road with the girls.

Strapped in tight, we sat squished and squeezed together, mine and Brett's hands (minus the steering wheel hand) holding our most precious cargo tight.  Brett revved up the engine, and off we puttered, on down the country road.  The girls squinted as the wind blew through their long, whispy eyelashes.  I breathed deep (but with my mouth closed, no bugs wanted for lunch!)..........

We went onto a piece of property I haven't stepped foot on since I found out I was pregnant with Anna.  At first, it looked familiar, normal.  I was taking in the same scene I always glance at from the road when I drive by.  But then we decided to go just a little further, and then---further still.  What was supposed to be a search for blackberries ended up becoming an adventure.  A quest for treasure, only found in nature.  

Treasure like this rock, shaped perfectly like a heart.  No human hands needed to shape or form it.....

it's as if God chiseled away the afternoon, thinking lovely thoughts about just us four, 

and plopped this right where our eyes would see it. 

We saw it because our eyes were looking.....

not glancing from one task to another.  

The memory of this particular ranger ride is etched in my mind for many 4th's to come. 

I'm so glad we gave bold and daring a chance.

Summer Stock

From fluffy stacks of golden pancakes,

drizzled with syrup and smeared with butter,

to bright green and cheery yellow squash,

that are full of pure flavor,

and corn that that's shiny and made of kernels packed tight,

sweet, crisp, and juicy,

 to a garden that's growing beyond our expectations,

to weekly lemonade making sessions,

sour juice running down our fingers and mouths,

Omelets made lovingly by Brett,

topped with fresh, fragrant garden veggies,

so savory

and fish sandwiches, tangy with homemade tartar sauce,
and crunchy with garden veggies,

 juicy peaches that leave sweet juice dribbling down tummies and chins,

and the most flavorful tomatoes you can imagine.

Summer has stocked some of the tastiest, most beautiful treats.

{What have you been enjoying, food-wise this summer?}

Our family photos.

Howdy ya'll! :)

Isn't this picture silly? I think so.  And that's the very reason why I like it!  It perfectly depicts my life right now.  An anti-country/farm gal turned..........well, almost country. One of my best friends took some family photos for us a few months ago. I just adore how they turned out.  Sure, the girls aren't looking up or looking picture-perfect (a.k.a. smiling) in a lot of the pictures, but this is our life.  It's sweet and it's captured perfectly through these photos.  We have two unique, special gals.....

Out of 200 and some pics, I chose my favorites.  Here's a peek...

If you'd like to know more about the photographer, 

send me an e-mail at sunshinebysara@hotmail.com

I'd love to connect you! :)