1. My big little girls, 2. My girls,
3. All 10 kids plus grandparents. Happy Mother’s Day!, 4. Sleeping ukulele player,
5. Family outing, 6. Hello summer toes!

I‘ve certainly enjoyed the slower pace this week with no more outside classes for the school year! The weather here in Atlanta cooled down enough to turn off the AC and open the windows again this week. I love saving the money, and also the breezes and sounds from the outdoors.

My oldest daughter and I started a book club this week with other mothers and daughters using the book Every Young Woman’s Battle: Guarding Your Mind, Heart, and Body in a Sex-Saturated World. Although it’s obviously a sensitive topic, we had an open and productive group discussion at our first meeting. It’s important to keep lines of communication open with your teens, and I think this study will also build a support system for the girls from among the other participants.

I’m on the committee for our homeschool group’s year-end picnic this weekend, so we’ll be making lots of red, white, and blue paper chains between now and then for decorations. Our theme is an old-fashioned picnic and I’ll be taking family photos when people arrive. I thought about vintage-style photo processing and and framing, like the following examples. Which do you prefer?

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

Realistically, I may only be able to use one with a landscape (horizontal) orientation, unless I have a smaller family and can use the square. Then again, I may be creating a whole lot of extra work . . . but, maybe I could create a Photoshop action that would automate most of the process. (Just ignore me. I’m thinking.)

What are your plans for the weekend, and what did your camera phone capture this week?

Camera Phone Friday: Pick a Frame Edition is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Last summer I wrote How to Create Your Own Instagallery, the story of a DIY magnetic chalkboard project that became a place to display our Instagram photos. Eleven months later, I thought you might like to see how we continue to use and update it.

Periodically I take down some photos and put them in albums and print new ones to take their place.

Other odds and ends have joined the mix, such as my autographed Straight No Chaser concert ticket from December, . . .

my Help-Portrait volunteers’ group photo, and Smilebooth shots from Relevant.

Everyday Moments + Instagram = Memories Captured
Memories Captured + Instagallery = Memories Revisited
(And you thought there wouldn’t be any math.)

Do you have a place to display everyday photos of your family?

The Evolution of Our Instagallery is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

1. Sunny day baseball, 2. Yellow, 3. #cincodemoes @Moes_HQ, 4. Heading to the lake!

Life is starting to slow a bit this week now that we’ve wrapped all of our outside classes and one of our two baseball seasons. Yesterday the pollen got the best of me and I felt pretty lousy, so it seemed like a good day to start a new book. I actually restarted a book I bought about a year and a half ago, Saving Leonardo. It’s listed in the new Classical Conversations catalog as optional reading for the class I teach, but I think I’m going to recommend it for summer.

The most frugally clever thing I did this week was make homemade body wash based on the instructions from this post, which I originally found via Pinterest. It’s kind of ooey gooey, but I’m enjoying it, maybe because I’m tickled I made it myself.

What are you reading or making and what did your camera phone capture this week?

[Amazon link is an affiliate link.]

Camera Phone Friday: Good Reading and Homemade Body Wash Edition is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

1. A big door prize winner! #inrl, 2. More goodies!! #inrl, 3. Had a wonderful time today at our #inrl meetup with @oohamanda @womanonajourney @momsmustardseeds, 4. Cruising down the road (see my hand?)

It’s testimony to just how busy we’ve been that I haven’t posted since last week’s Camera Phone Friday. Three of the photos above are from the (in)RL  that I hosted in our home last Saturday. Were you part of this wonderful event? If not and if the idea of going to an unfamiliar place and meeting up with a bunch of strangers gives you hives, please read this lovely post from my dear friend, Deidra.

The two ladies holding those big canvases won them as door prizes because they arrived at my doorstep in spite of the fact that they didn’t know anyone here. That’s really walking (in)courage, huh? (Bad pun, I know.)

Speaking of (in)RL, did you see the video of Sara’s Story? Sara was a fellow (in)courage author who passed away in September (I wrote about a conversation we had concerning the beauty in the mundane here). You might want to grab a Kleenex before you hit play, but seriously, even if you didn’t know Sara you’ll be blessed by this story of her example and the impact it made on others. I was already crying before we started filming my portion.

Our week has been packed with wrap-up activities including the last day of classes for our Classical Conversations community and our spring choir concert. A bunch of our CC crowd is camping at the lake this weekend. We don’t have camping equipment (in spite of our name) and a baseball game tomorrow, so we’re just going to pop in and out and hang out with the gang.

And of course, we’ll be at Moe’s Saturday for Cinco de Moe’s—$3 burritos! 

Speaking of Moe’s, did I tell y’all that I’ve been invited to be a Moe’s advisory board blogger? Unfortunately, the big kick-off for the program was here in Atlanta (Moe’s is based here) on the weekend when I went to Photoshop World in March. So I missed it.

Well, yesterday I got an invitation to lunch next month with Moe’s President and their Executive Chef. I’m nervously analyzing what Moe’s items I eat in the neatest way, cause I can make a serious mess. My mother joked about how fun it would be to hold a fancy dinner party and serve tacos, because you just can’t eat them neatly. Hopefully I won’t drop a blob of sour cream in my lap. That would be nice.

May’s Desktop Calendar, Take 4

Although I’ve managed to submit one version without the full verse, one labeled as April instead of May, and one where the zip file apparently was empty, you can now download an accurate desktop calendar at (in)courage. This month’s verse really speaks to me. Just look for the link that says Calendar (May) under the blog header at the top of page. Fourth time’s a charm!

I’ve missed you guys and the blog this week! What did your camera phone capture?

Camera Phone Friday: Wrapping Up the School Year Edition is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

It’s finally here! The (in)courage un-conference, (in)RL, starts today with four separate broadcasts of web content and then get-togethers held in hundreds of living rooms, churches, and coffee shops all over the world tomorrow. Will you be a part of it? It’s not too late!

Here’s a little history and background on that strange looking name, (in)RL: bloggers developed the abbreviation IRL for “in real life” as in my blog buddy Heather and I finally met IRL!  We used to take a bit of ribbing about the imaginary friends in our computers before blog conferences and local meetups became more prevalent. Now I’ve met lots of my blog buddies IRL.

However, all of us need day-to-day real life community right where we live. We’re wired that way.

So, who’s my community?

My church. These are the cannot-live-without people in my life. I’ve always told my kids that of all the friendships they’ll make, there’s nothing like those precious ones of like precious faith. These are the ones who know me best of all, my move-a-body girlfriends.

My homeschool friends. We didn’t know most of the families in our Classical Conversations community when it started, but now they’re some of our dearest friends. Although naturally the moms are friends with the moms and kids with the kids, by the very nature of the program and the tutor-student relationship, I now have lots of teen friends, too.

I get to talk art and philosophy with these kids one day a week and dissect things like cows’ eyes (that’s the inside of one there on the right). We’ve had a wonderful school year and I’ll be sad to graduate these kids from my class next week.

Neighbors. I’m the world’s worst neighbor. Seriously. I’ve always got so much going on in the house or away from home that I’m not an out-and-about in the neighborhood kind of girl. And then there’s what my husband and I call my “5 degree comfort zone.” Let’s just say I’m thankful to live in the days of heating and air conditioning.

I’m hoping to connect more with my neighbors at my (in)RL gathering tomorrow.

What about you? Who’s your community?

(And what did your camera phone capture this week? Link it below!)

Camera Phone Friday: Thinking about Community (in)RL Edition is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

I‘ve been working on something special for my shop and it’s ready just in time for Mother’s Day! This set of nine Fruit of the Spirit stamp motif designs are available as 10″ x 10″ canvas prints, which can be purchased individually or specially priced in sets of two, three, four, or the full set of nine.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” ~ Galatians 5:22-23.

This collage lets you imagine how lovely they’d be hanging together in a gallery wall. God surrounds us with natural beauty, doesn’t He?

Canvas orders placed by next Wednesday, May 2, are guaranteed for Mother’s Day delivery. Photographic print orders placed by Tuesday, May 8, are guaranteed.

I’d love to know: which of these fruits designs is your favorite?

The Fruit of the Spirit Canvas Collection is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Imagine my surprise when I couldn’t post a Camera Phone Friday this week because there were no new Instagram photos!

Am I tired of the app? No. Unfortunately, I’ve just been too busy to stop and savor the moments.

And so today I used both my phone and my camera.

Treasures everywhere: health, sunshine, happy kids, baseball. If I don’t capture it, will I remember? Will they?

Will an image hold special meaning for one of my children . . .

a hidden gift that’s mine alone to give?

Have you used your camera lately? Do you print your photos or share them digitally?

Remember the Days is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

1. Happy :), 2. Easter Sunday, 3. My favorite little league coach :), 4. Way cool moth

Can you believe it’s only 2 weeks until (in)RL? I can hardly wait! In case you’re not familiar with it, (in)RL is a worldwide meetup day currently consisting of 458 different communities of women meeting in their local areas on April 28.

Are you participating?

Also, I wanted to tell you that I’m working on a set of nine new products for my shop! I’m very excited and should be posting them hopefully by late next week. I’m also dreaming and scheming another idea and I even bought a domain name to go along with it. You know you’re dreaming big when you buy a URL!

What have you been up to and what did your camera phone capture this week?

Link it below!

Camera Phone Friday: 2 Weeks to (in)RL Edition is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Can you believe it? A Camera Phone Friday with only one image. We’re on spring break in our area and we’ve had lazy days and company this week.

I can treat you to a video that I made from our Classical Conversations recent Spring Protocol. We all dressed up for dinner, the opera, and a dance and reception afterwards.

Enjoy!

What did your camera phone capture this week? Link it below!

Camera Phone Friday: Spring Break Edition is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

1. This party’s about to get started! #psw12, 2. So fun having lunch with @thegypsymama @Moes_HQ while I’m in DC for #psw12, 3. Crazy cool model setup from @WestcottCo at #psw12, 4. Molten Chocolate Cake – oh my! #psw12, 5. Cool art & good chance to use my degree in Russian. Just don’t remember what it means #psw12, 6. I want to be one of these couples someday, 7. @aj_wood & family getting book signed by @scottkelby @ajwood, 8. You’re never too young to learn Photoshop (or maybe watch Wall-E) #psw12 @aj_wood’s daughter), 9. Totally cool Nikon 50mm lens bracelet from @lensbracelet #psw12

Camera Phone Friday is nothing if not unpredictable: a slow week might have four photos, a busy one twenty-four. This week’s total is seventeen. All but the last three flesh out my trip last weekend to Washington, DC, for Photoshop World. I think my phone captured more than my camera.

I’ve worn my new 50mm Lens Bracelet (bottom right in collage above) all week—geek chic at its finest!

1. Photoshop World Midnight Madness #psw12, 2. Painting from DC Cherry Blossom Festival 100th anniversary #psw12, 3. Expo Hall #psw12, 4. L’Enfant Metro Station #psw12

I may have been in DC during the 100th anniversary of their Cherry Blossom Festival, but I really didn’t see many cherry blossoms. I took the metro from the convention center to the airport on the last day, and really wish I’d figured it out a little sooner and done some sightseeing.

The photo bottom right in the collage above was taken in the L’Enfant Metro Station. Last week I emailed my students in the Classical Conversations Challenge II class that I teach a link to this story about Joshua Bell playing anonymously in L’Enfant, so being there felt meaningful (I got to visit twice, since I should have gotten off and changed trains the first time through).

1. Bumpy ride from DC to Philadelphia. Glad to be on the ground., 2. That includes my 10 cent Kroger gas discount :-(, 3. Robin’s egg found on the ground in our backyard (there’s a nest and more in our porch light), 4. Dogwood

I think the last four images are just lovely, except for that awful gas pump. $111.40! What’s the most you’ve payed for gas lately?

What did your camera phone capture this week? Link it below!

Camera Phone Friday: Photoshop World Recap Edition is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved