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new old friends ♥

Raising up Rubies20 Comments
the weekend flew by.
i left thursday and came home sunday
and it was like i blinked.

i flew to Kansas to meet my sweet friend AmyJ.
it was almost three years in the making
since we first found each other on the web


Amy is exactly how i thought she would be
the same 
sweet & kind. i just love her
Becky is funny & full of spunk
a lot like me 🙂

after spending the first day with Amy 
(which was so sad. it went by way too fast. like it was nothing)
we headed to the craft house in Newton
i just took a few snapshots that will never do this house justice



this was our room…






there is detail in every corner
inspiration on every wall



it made me smile to see my garland hanging in one of the bedrooms
🙂





the work room is huge
and beautiful
i’ve gotten so much inspiration from here
for my own studio



it kinda felt like i was home in that room.







we ate.
like a lot.
like a lot of good stuff.
probably the best stuff ever.







i got to meet Heather too. which was a major bonus that wasn’t planned!
she’s such a sweet soul. and kind. i wanted to hang out with her more.



also got to meet Jess.
so quiet, and full of wisdom.
i was listening to her talk here and there
really just someone i’d love to know more.



goodbye whatever craft weekend
i’ve been blessed to stay within your walls
meet your beloved hosts & helpers
and make your ruffled apron
lemme come back again someday mkay?

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insta-friday … ♥

Raising up Rubies14 Comments
i really have no idea how it’s friday.
i don’t know what happened to monday through thursday?
it’s a blur.

my shop anniversary celebration was so much fun!
thank you so much to all who ordered from my shop
i appreciate all your love & support … i really am so blessed by you ♥

then my girls started school yesterday 😦
bittersweet.

so i know i’ve been lacking in the creative/crafty post department
but for now here is my life in instagram pics.
i’m raisinguprubies if you want to follow me there 🙂
and linking up with jeannett here!

life rearranged

getting ready for last week’s sale meant tons of hoop making … 
these were all gone in 20 minutes!




my sunday night routine consists of movies, planners, coupons 
and usually some crazy snacks … 
do you know there’s such thing as marshmallow fruit loops?!
yum.

blogging late at night is hard. i always get super sleepy. even though i’m a night owl.





i have this friend. her name is Becky.
she has this awesome shop. and she sent me a huge box of happy!
aaaaaaand i cant wait to meet her face to face next week!
so very excited.





this is me. tired from staying up too late blogging. 
it was eeeeeearly in the morning… like 9:45
(that’s like daybreak in my mind)
and i was already hustlin.




guys what are you doing?
shhhh. were on a bug expedition mom!!
more sunday night routine in action … 
it’s not much, but it’s a lifesaver when it comes to planning meals and groceries 
if i stick to it really good 🙂





we went to the lake one last time
we stopped at the store for a bunch of snacks… 
it was summer’s last hoorah
boo.



teacher gifts this year to my liking
simple and sweet … the cute pencils were from the target dollar bins
and i had the jars … so these two gifts cost just a little bit 🙂
the teacher questionnaire is a free printable from here




this ikea cart that i got in the spring has been my buddy lately
packing & shipping orders with everything all in one spot makes life waaaay easier
i {♥} ikea
good thing there isn’t one around here




i’ve been struggling with summer being over
i feel like it flew by faster than it ever has in years past.
maybe it’s because i noticed my girls are getting bigger
they’re out of that little kid stage, and definitely do so much more for themselves
the days just started to vanish 
i kept trying to get ahead of them and not waste time
waste time.
doing things other than focusing on them.
really looking at them when they talk.
and not at a phone
praising and encouraging them
not scolding and reprimanding
taking time to play and include myself in with them 
even if it means not getting something done that seems really important
i don’t want to regret. later.
i hate the regret.
it sneaks up on you late at night when they’re all tucked in and quiet
and you realize you said no more than yes.

all this overwhelms me lately
i sense God picking me up and carrying me through what feels like unsure ground
the parenting fails
the disappointments
unmet expectations

gently telling me … nothing is wasted 
nothing is wasted in My hands daughter
walk with Me everyday … and nothing will be wasted


this is a free printable i posted a while ago … find it here
next week i’m headed to whatever craft weekend
so so excited to put online names to faces and spend time together … and craft!
i’ll have to tell you all about it when i get back
happy weekend!
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mug swap 2013 ♥

Raising up Rubies13 Comments
i talk a lot about instagram.
it’s really cause i love it so much
the handmade community on there is really awesome
a couple weeks ago, i found Kim
you can read her blog here … she’s the inventor of the mug swap.
where she pairs you up with someone to exchange mugs, but it’s a surprise
it was so fun to see everyone sending and receiving packages the past few weeks
if you’re on instagram just look up the #mugswap2013 hashtag
and you’ll see all the fun pictures



the person i sent to was Katy … you can read about her here.
she’s awsome. and she has this really cool etsy shop here.




this 2nd set of goodies was for Kim herself. the president. the one who’s in charge…
and who probably spent hours & hours setting this whole thing up for us.
so she needed a box too 🙂


the little camera garland is something i sell in my etsy shop
it’s a great gift idea for a friend who’s on instagram, or who loves photography



the person i received from was Jessica
her box was such a shock to open.
it had gifts and more gifts all wrapped up in paper and she sent me not one mug
but a whole tower of mugs! wow. generous heart this girls got. 
you can check out her blog here.




mark your calendars or phones, or whatever.
just be sure to sign up for this next year.
trust me, you won’t regret it!!


linking up here! with CuppaKim!

Mug Swap!
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insta-saturday 2nd summer edition … ♥

Raising up Rubies11 Comments

there’s only two weeks of summer left
this happens every summer. it flies by.
and i wonder why i let it.
this was the first year i really noticed my girls were not little anymore.
it was really a turning point as far as summers go
sad 😦 
anyways, i’ll be back next week with a few project-ish type things
here’s my 2nd installment of summer instagram pics
you can follow me there … i’m @raisinguprubies




the hubs took me away for a surprise anniversary weekend, 
monday morning it was back to my regularly scheduled program. 
♥ the view from my deck into my backyard ♥ psalms thirty-four. five. 
those who look to Him are radiant. their faces are never covered with shame . 
♥ oh the life of a blogger. i may or may not have fallen 1 minute after 
my daughter took this picture. ouch.



it’s weird finding yourself when you’re at the library… read more about me & BHG here
♥ i started that little project a few weeks ago … 
it was coming right along. it just turned from little to big 
♥ found a tool caddy in my nice neighbor’s garbage (thanks neighbor) 
got a little coat of pink paint.



have you seen Ed Emberly drawing books? go find them at the library. they’re fun.
♥ new fabric = more hoops soon! ♥ hebrews. six. nineteen  we have this HOPE. as an anchor for the soul. firm & secure. ♥ that green goodwill file cabinet find is holding my fabric quite nicely




sent out some long overdue happy mail ♥ flowers from my hubs. 14 years to the day 
♥ yarn. it does a body good. ♥ teeny tiny hoop. love.





the free printable garland that i talked about in my housewarming gift basket post, was simple to make. i need to do one for me now! ♥ colossians. one. twenty one. to them: God has chosen to make known the glorious riches of this mystery which is Christ in you. the hope of glory. 
♥ mugswap2013 was the most funnest thing ever… i’ll be blogging about it next week, it was so fun you’ll have to be sure to sign up for next year … you can read all about it and about this awesome girl here.




me and my besties spent the day hitting up all the area thrift stores… we found a bunch of awesome stuff. ♥ this mug. kills me. ♥ my loot from the thrift stores ♥ diy fabric softener … make your own! i would like to post a little how-to soon 🙂




arm party day. lovin’ my redeemed bracelet from here and my mason jar cup from here ♥ the view from where i worked 🙂 ♥ happiness in a rug. there can be happiness in a rug ya know ♥ new crayons at target made us break out the coloring books later that day.


i love going on Pinterest and watching all those braid tutorials … but i have a really hard time doing them to myself. is it cause it’s doing it in reverse when you’re doing it to yourself? yes. that must be it. ♥ oatmeal cream pie recipe from here (nom nom nom) ♥ a clean & sunny kitchen makes for a happy mama ♥ this last picture is of my sunday night routine: 
coupons, popcorn, planners & doris day movies 
(unless of course the hubs is home from work, then it’s NOT doris day movies) 
(it’s like some guy thing on tv that i happily watch with him) 
(note the hint of sarcasm in my voice)
i {heart} sunday nights … i really do 🙂




whatever craft weekend SWAG! read about whatever craft weekend here ♥ summer means so many fun things for us … library visits are my fav. my kids are older, it means a lot of exploring/reading time for them & crochet time for me 🙂 ♥ i had a few pairs of these booties that i had made at the beginning of the year, thinking i’d start selling these in my etsy shop… only to realize they are really time consuming to mass produce 😦 so that’s a no go. ♥ hoops on sale means hoop making for me has begun!



finally got around to spray painting my craft room chairs!! ♥ my craft room has gotten a bunch of updates, and i can’t wait to share a whole new post with you guys as soon as i’m done … just one more thing to do ♥ we like to go to the lake a lot in the summer … i’ve been going to this one spot with my big family since i was a kid … i love this lake, it’s so peaceful and relaxing there …just layin on a blanket… lookin up through the trees… reminds me of this song ♥ by the end of last week i was soooo tired … i’d been going non stop. 
just needed rest. to stop. listen and rest.



my gal pal is adopting another baby … she’s so sweet & i love her. read more about her, her cute family, the adoption and this super fun hoop exchange here ♥ my biggest little crocheted this neon pink mushroom 🙂 all by herself, no help from mama … she started to crochet when she was seven… and now she reads patterns all by herself. and i love here (the mushroom pattern is here) ♥ some days the laundry is my nemesis. so i wrote it a letter:
oh hey laundry. we’ve been together for a long time. i think we need to take a break. no it’s not you. it’s me. ♥ i’ve been staying up waaaay too late the past few night making these … making things with my hands is good for my soul. 

my etsy shop is one year old this month! hope to have a big sale 
with all new hoops & stock in the shop … hope to kick it off this week! stay tuned!
ps. my girls are obsessed with this video
they watch it a million times a day
now when they start to tattle or get in each other’s business
i say: worry bout yo self.
wurrrrd.



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an oldie but goodie … back to school pom pom garland ♥

Raising up Rubies10 Comments

i’ve gotten a bunch of questions about this apple pompom garland
mainly about where it is on the blog … well it’s here… again 🙂
just in time for the back to school hustle bustle that will fill our days & weeks ahead
i posted this last year, and still love this project … 
i have ideas to change it up to suit other seasons as well 
enjoy! … again!

a few things you need …


pom pom makers are the funnest (not a word i know) things to have
oh i know you don’t need them to make pom poms 
but they make it a little easier 🙂
the medium size was used for these pom poms
they’re made by Clover and we got ours at Joanns and i’ve seen them at Walmart too
they have a few different sizes, one of them is huge
and would make an apple pom pom the size of … well … an apple 🙂
there’s even a heart shaped pom pom maker! can you imagine??
(not ’cause i like hearts or anything)
(♥)

since the instructions on the back of the package are basic
i thought i’d give you a few pictures of the process

first wind the yarn of your choice around both sections of the pom pom device 🙂
don’t worry about the ends, they will blend in when you trim at the end

close both ends together and then cut with sharp pointed scissors 
through the thickness of the yarn
take a separate piece of yarn and wrap it around the groove that is now exposed
loop the ends through each other a few times to make sure the pom pom doesn’t get loose
open both ends and open up the pom pom maker
pom poms! make lots now 🙂
they will need some trimming to give them a round shape
don’t worry, it’s hard to mess this up 
(unless you’re blind folded 🙂
all done … fun! now let’s make garland

to make the stems use wire snips to cut the pencils
(you can still use the bottom of the pencils
you just can’t make any mistakes when you write with them 🙂

cut some leaves out of green felt
hot glue the pencil tops & the leaves inside the pom pom 
pressing the yarn around it to hide the base
to string them, i used jute that was a more on the stiff side 
(from the jewlery section at the craft store)
just so the apples wouldn’t be top heavy and slouch over
hot glue the jute onto the backside of the pencil more towards the base
you want the apple to hang from the pencil not the pom pom
you can cut strips of felt or material to tie between the apples
these polka dot scraps were leftover from the pony houses i made here 🙂

hang it somewhere and enjoy the cuteness ♥

linking up here ♥ :

linking up here:
A Crafty Soiree ♥ Yesterday on Tuesday
Whatever you Want Wednesday ♥ Free Pretty Things for You
live laugh linky ♥ live laugh Rowe
Party Time ♥ the 36th Avenue
Weekend Wrap-Up Party ♥ Tatertots & Jello
Sundae Scoop ♥ i heart naptime
Party Junk ♥ Funky Junk Interiors
Junkin’ Joe ♥ the Cottage Market
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ten things … i really {heart} thursday

Raising up Rubies11 Comments

i’ve been all over pinterest this week
sometimes i get so inspired, i just wanna put everything down 
to go and make some of this stuff!

{remember to pin from the original sources!}

i {heart} this diy marquee sign. don’t you?! 
and it looks really complicated but it’s noooooot.

{source}


so i’m all about the pom poms lately … and garlands
pom poms + garland = big fat happy

{source}


more with the pom poms …
i tried so hard to find some time last week 
to make some of these for my kitchen window
maybe this week it’ll happen

{source}


school’s on it’s way … i know… i can feel it in my bones
blah.
i’m sorry but this happy yellow sunshiney teacher gift 
might just take the yucky out of end of summer blues

{source}



more often than not i want to take a whole day and just crochet.
it’s become a luxury now for me … not something i have much time for
or make much time for … but i need to pick up my hooks.
i miss them … these bracelets!

{source}



i big fat puffy {heart} everything about this little girl room
the wall … the bed color … just plain happy

{source}



sometimes simple is better.
let’s go make this right now … wanna?
it would take 2 seconds.

{source}



bows, mint green and necklaces
that’s all.

{source}



sooooo … i’ve been wanting to get a tattoo for a while now
what i want to get has spiritual meaning to me
as in it’s meaning is rooted in my faith … which is essentially who i am.
but ok, really … for fun … this fits me so well 🙂

{source}



my one-year shop anniversary is almost here … whoa. weird.
it’s been one crazeee year. and it’s flown by.
i’m gonna have some fun giveaways, flash sales and all kinds of pretty coming 
to the shop so stay tuned … but in the mean time, this quote is truth right here.

{source}


much love ♥
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house-warming gift idea … ♥

Raising up Rubies16 Comments



happy monday everyone.
hope your weekend was full of summer sunshine ♥
we had some happy, and some sad mixed in together this past week
one of the happy’s was my friend’s new home
and that we got to go visit for the first time since she and her family moved in.
she’s a lot like me when it comes to decorating
and i had fun putting this basket together for her
filled it with a few things i’d love to have for myself as a domestic engineer 🙂



i’m just so excited about this project i found
it’s a garland made up of all those free prints 
you know, the ones we love to hoard on our pinterest boards but never print out…
since the thought of buying and hanging frames for all of them is overwhelming … 
so this was the best idea ever. 
can’t wait to make one for here … there’s so many prints to choose from
i just can’t decide… but how cool that you can change them up every so often
for seasons or holidays … fun.




found this ceramic mason jar at joanns … and whipped up a few of my cupcake paper flowers
i forget how addicting they are to make … i could do it for hours.
it’s so pretty to see the different patterns come together.
go.
 make some. 
go now.



i added a few random vintage dishes, with some soap & sponges
i wanted to make some of these to put in there too…
but ran out of time.
that’s how it always is with me … 

{source}





i think she liked it 🙂
heck, i liked it… i wanted it.
but i gave it up. cause i’m nice like that.
happy making stuff.

linking up here:
A Crafty Soiree ♥ Yesterday on Tuesday
Whatever you Want Wednesday ♥ Free Pretty Things for You
live laugh linky ♥ live laugh Rowe
Party Time ♥ the 36th Avenue
Weekend Wrap-Up Party ♥ Tatertots & Jello
Sundae Scoop ♥ i heart naptime
Party Junk ♥ Funky Junk Interiors
Junkin’ Joe ♥ the Cottage Market
Funky Junk ♥ Funky Junk’s Party Junk
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{diy} rainbow cloud garland … ♥

Raising up Rubies20 Comments
the other day we were in walmart 
and i saw these blue polka dot paper plates in the clearance section
bluuuuuue pooooolka dooooots (zombie voice)
 it’s like a magnetic force … pulling me to the polka dots
ok.

so we got them. and i thought about this garland i saw on pinterest
… it’s from a cute blog called a little delightful



but those are suns, and these plates looked like clouds 
but rainbows are like all buddy buddy with clouds too right?? so we went with it.


it’s one of the crafts that i put down on our summer bucket list
and the girls were excited to make it



it was really simple, we just cut the plates in half
then punched holes along the curved edge




then went to town with the rainbow part
they put ribbon & twine on some


 fabric & yarn on some too … i like how they look all wonky 🙂


we strung them all on some twine and hung it up in the craft room
across the top of the window.






summer crafts are the best ♥ 
happy crafting
linking up here:
A Crafty Soiree ♥ Yesterday on Tuesday
Whatever you Want Wednesday ♥ Free Pretty Things for You
live laugh linky ♥ live laugh Rowe
Party Time ♥ the 36th Avenue
Weekend Wrap-Up Party ♥ Tatertots & Jello
Sundae Scoop ♥ i heart naptime
Party Junk ♥ Funky Junk Interiors
Junkin’ Joe ♥ the Cottage Market
Funky Junk ♥ Funky Junk’s Party Junk
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paperclip & pompom bookmarks … ♥

Raising up Rubies7 Comments




happy friday guys!
just wanted to pop in with this project that i shared a few weeks ago as a guest post
here’s the full post for you, just in time for back to school book-reading 
… or maybe even teacher gifts?!

if you’re new around these parts, you might not know my girls love to craft with me
and summertime is prime craftin’ time at our casa… 
the girls have recently put their pompom makers to good use!
meaning we have pompoms kinda layin around everywhere.  
to see a little tutorial on how to make your own with the clover pompom maker 
click over here real quick 🙂  
it’s a great way to use up itty bitty balls of scrap yarn too!



with pompoms a plenty we decided to do something crazy & wild … 
and make bookmarks. ok, not so crazy, 
but perfect for summer, when books & kids go hand in hand.
once the poms are finished, you’ll end up with a tail of yarn, 
just right for tying onto paperclips.  
we got all rainbow crazy and matched our colors up.


Just make sure you’re tying the yarn to the right end of the clip 
and then go ahead and double tie … maybe even triple tie.  
The pom will slide on the paperclip but won’t be goin’ anywhere.


now the super fun part … make tons.  
and they are addicting, so watch out! maybe even put them in a little jar, 
with a stack of yard sale books for a birthday gift idea?
now that would be awesome.

now what teacher wouldn’t love a stack of books just like this
with pompoms sticking out of the tops? so so fun 🙂

here’s another fun back to school craft we did last year…

i personally am still stuck in summer mode … 
hey, we’re just breaking the half-way mark around these parts
Happy Crafting!

linking up here:
A Crafty Soiree ♥ Yesterday on Tuesday
Whatever you Want Wednesday ♥ Free Pretty Things for You
live laugh linky ♥ live laugh Rowe
Party Time ♥ the 36th Avenue
Weekend Wrap-Up Party ♥ Tatertots & Jello
Sundae Scoop ♥ i heart naptime
Party Junk ♥ Funky Junk Interiors
Junkin’ Joe ♥ the Cottage Market
Funky Junk ♥ Funky Junk’s Party Junk