Be my hands....

Remember how I said a few posts back how God is in the details of our lives. Even the things that seem so trivial or minute. I have an example to share with you all. Some, who might not know how God works, would think it mere coincidence. Not me.

I know better. Every tiny situation is orchestrated by God above. Here's the story. I was designing a necklace for a customer the other day. She wanted a specific scripture verse hand-stamped on a silver disc necklace. I was stamping away when I came to stamping the actual numbers. It just so happens that in my steel forged metal stamp set you use the same stamp for the "9" AND the "6". You see where I'm going here.....

The reference was SUPPOSED to be Jeremiah 29:11, which is: "For I know the plans I have for you, " declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". She's giving this necklace to her daughter as gift as she heads off to college. I inadvertantly stamped Jeremiah 26...when I realized it was suppose to be a "9". So, I stopped immediately and thought to myself there has to be a way to salvage this sterling silver disc. I ran to get my bible to see if Jeremiah 26 held any verses that might be nice to quote on the disc. Funny how God works. HE'D orchestrated what I thought was a "mistake"...only to be surprised that he had a verse HE wanted me to see all along. It was this.

Jeremiah 26:14--As for me, I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right.

I have long looked for a scripture that personifies Me, and the mission I want to accomplish through the ministry of my business Faith Creations, LLC. It's not just jewelry I am creating. I want my designs to mean something to the wearer. I want them to smile when they wear my creations, and most of all I want God to be glorified through my works. Until now...I haven't found a scripture that I "felt" accurately described ME. I believe that's because God wanted me to have this verse as my life verse. So, may I introduce to the Mission Statement verse for Faith Creations, LLC.

Jeremiah 26:14 AS FOR ME, I AM IN YOUR HANDS; DO WITH ME WHATEVER YOU THINK IS GOOD AND RIGHT.

I just love it. Thank you Jesus for showing me this little nugget in Your timing.

On a side note, I'm SO THRILLED to get to be His hands this weekend as our church small group and lots of brothers and sisters in Christ honor a special lady at our church who has had a rough 2 years. She's a single mom with 3 kids who has recently moved into a home of her own from the homeless shelter she's been living in for the last year. We've adopted her family and are totally furnishing her new home. It's all about pulling together resources and talents and blessings someone who truly deserves to have things go right for her for once. Thank you Jesus for allowing me to BE YOUR HANDS. Nothing touches my heart more than being able to help others. This is a tangible way I can contribute.

I also want to say that for the next few months (I haven't decided how long yet) I will be donating 10% of all my jewelry sales to her family. They are in dire need of help. Friends, they lost everything and are starting from scratch, literally. We're talking no pillows to lay their heads upon at night. That will all change this weekend. I am honored to get to be part of God's plan.

Thanks for listening. Now place those orders.....(wink, wink)

Designing for a Purpose,
Heather Rice

God is in the details....

I wanted to drop a quick line to let everyone know how little man is doing after his tonsil removal surgery Friday. This weekend was rough, he slept mostly. Friday he was really incoherent as the anesthesia wore off and he started to feel "un-numb". He ran a low grade fever thru Sat. Then Sat., he seemed to be more respondant to trying some jello. Red was his favorite flavor. Then, he discovered applesauce. How a 4 year old can survive on applesauce (multiple mini-cups) for 2 1/2 days is beyond me. He's never gotten sick and vomited like they assured me he most likely would do. God is in the details....He's also decided that he doesn't want any popsicles or icecream. I don't understand this, but I'm not questioning. In the meantime, mommy and daddy are making up for his lack of icecream consumption. Gotta watch that, huh?

Luke's been watching lots of cartoons. If I see another episode of Wow, Wow, Wubzy, Max and Ruby, Backyardigans or Go Diego Go, I'm going to have to be committed. For now, it makes him happy and helps with his mental state of mind keeping him from focusing on the pain. It's funny how his little voice has changed. He's a tenor now. I got so use to hearing his garbled marbles voice. Kinda wierd to hear this new tone. It's so much less "Charlie Brown's teacher-ish".

Today, he and I ventured out for the first time since Fri. and went to Target. He wanted to exchange two birthday gifts that he rec'd for one's that "didn't scare him" (his words) Evidently, The Hulk and Batman are bad, scary guys and he told me he didn't "wike" (like) them. Sorry, whoever gave him those. We returned them and he got himself a Chick Hicks car (from the movie Cars). He told the cashier that this one didn't scare him. She was like, "Uh, oh kay whatever".

I'm so proud of my brave boy. He's really been a trooper. One last funny story. While at Target we perused the aisles for items that he might be able to eat without pain. I spied the soup aisle had "Lightining McQueen" chicken noodle soup. The noodles are shaped like cars. He saw it too and said, "Mommy can I get that soup, It's alright, it won't hurt my FEELINGS". I laughed and kissed him on the nose. He's so cute. So, for now the pain in the back of his throat is affectionately called his "feelings". Too funny, huh? We also got some more apple sauce, cinnamon and strawberry flavored this time. I told him these new flavors wouldn't hurt his feelings either. He obliged. Anyone wanting to partake of some sugary delights we have about 4 gallons of icecream and a box of Dora popsicles that need to be consumed.

One more quick story about how God is so in the details. After running to Hobby Lobby in Allen for a quick item I needed for necklace making we attempted the Chickfila drive thru in Allen. So freakin many cars I said, "Luke we'll go to the one by our house in McKinney". We left and headed home. As I pulled up in the drivethru to place our order I noticed a friend of mine who moved to Iowa last year. I called her cell phone and after getting our order I ran inside to say Hi. Turns out she's in town on vacation. Back here to visit friends while her hubby who works for John Deere attends a required training in CO for 3 wks. It was great to see her and her kids. Hi LaNae.

God is SO in every detail of our life.

Back to bed now, had to administer Luke's antibiotic.

Signing off,
Nurse Heather

My tribute to Frida Kahlo 1907-1954

FOR SALE- Email me,if interested.

Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), Mexican Painter.

From 1926 until her death, the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo created striking, often shocking, images that reflected her turbulent life. Kahlo was one of four daughters born to a Hungarian-Jewish father and a mother of Spanish and Mexican Indian descent, in the Mexico City suburb of Coyoacán.

She did not originally plan to become an artist. A polio survivor, at 15 Kahlo entered the premedical program at the National Preparatory School in Mexico City. However, this training ended three years later when Kahlo was gravely hurt in a bus accident. She spent over a year in bed, recovering from fractures of her back, collarbone, and ribs, as well as a shattered pelvis and shoulder and foot injuries. Despite more than 30 subsequent operations, Kahlo spent the rest of her life in constant pain, finally succumbing to related complications at age 47.

During her convalescence Kahlo had begun to paint with oils. Her pictures, mostly self-portraits and still lifes, were deliberately naive, filled with the bright colors and flattened forms of the Mexican folk art she loved. At 21, Kahlo fell in love with the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, whose approach to art and politics suited her own. Although he was 20 years her senior, they were married in 1929; this stormy, passionate relationship survived infidelities, the pressures of Rivera's career, a divorce and remarriage, and Kahlo's poor health. The couple traveled to the United States and France, where Kahlo met luminaries from the worlds of art and politics; she had her first solo exhibition at the Julien Levy Gallery in New York City in 1938. Kahlo enjoyed considerable success during the 1940s, but her reputation soared posthumously, beginning in the 1980s with the publication of numerous books about her work by feminist art historians and others. In the last two decades an explosion of Kahlo-inspired films, plays, calendars, and jewelry has transformed the artist into a veritable cult figure.

Bye Bye Tonsils....Hello Popsicles

I told all my friends that I was officially declaring today, "EAT LOTS OF POPSICLES" day in honor of Luke's tonsilectomy. I hope you all enjoyed your favorite colors. I ate a purple DORA popsicle.

Update on my brave boy: He did great, with the help of a mild sedative (Versed). Let's just say that there was a "slight" mixup in the surgery time. His surgery was to begin at 11:45 AM ,which is why I suppose they had us get there at 10:30AM.

Surgery didn't ACTUALLY start until 1:20PM, people. Hello, clue phone it's for you hospital surgery scheduling lady. Next time, when you don't follow the surgeons orders and schedule my son at 8AM like he said, YOU get to occupy a 4 yr old in a backless hospital gown that he hates, and a name bracelet that he hates MORE than the gown for 3 hours. There's only so much coloring and Transformer movie watching one can handle, you'll see.

Ok, taking deep breath. Off my soapbox. All in all, Luke did great. It was funny hearing him talk after they gave him the sedative. We were asking him all kinds of silly questions just to see what he'd say. I know, we're bad. One of the funny things he did was take his little teddy bear's arms and pull them out the their sides and say, "look mommy, bear has wings" and then a big giggle. He kept smiling real big when I would say, "show mommy your happy face". Then he'd play with my hair and giggle. Too funny.

Dr. says his tonsils were HUGE, as big as golf balls. They had a hard time getting the first one out, but then the 2nd one was a breeze. Poor kid, no wonder why he snored like a locomotive. Tonsils are gone and Luke is resting well in his own bed tonight. They have him on an antibiotic, anti-nausea med and pain med's. I must report that he DID TRY and eat a popsicle today while at the hospital. Unfortunately, the morphine got the best of him and while attempting to stick it in his mouth he stuck it in his eye so we took it away.

We'll try again tomorrow. I'm sure he'll be much better when he see's Aunt Brooke, Cuzzin Emery and GranDee when he wakes up in the morning. Sis and Em are flying in to see him for the weekend. He also will get his big birthday present from them and money that Granna sent him. A new Spiderman bike. He's going to be so thrilled.

Thanks for all your prayers, thoughts, calls and well-wishes.

I'm off to bed myself, it's been a long day.

Heather

Happy 4th Birthday Luke....I Wuv Ewe

Luke's 4th Birthday photos....coming soon

Hold on to your panties.....Luke's 4th birthday photos coming later today. I'm so frustrated with my slideshow maker, I could spit.

Gotta take the boy to his pre-op appt. today.

THEN, I'll work on getting all these pictures uploaded for the 6th time in 12 hours. UGH!

Patience Grasshoppers! Good things come to those who wait.


Heather

It struck me as funny....

First let me start off by saying, "I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST THE RESTAURANT, HOOTERS!". This just struck me as funny.

I was pulling out of the church parking lot this morning after dropping off Luke at Vacation Bible School.

In front of me is this lady driving a SUV with TWO Hooter's bumper stickers on the back. One said, "I Love Hooters" and the other one said, "Hooters Make Me Happy".

Now, I can eat Hooters wings with the best of them (my fav's are the HOT one's) it just struck me as funny seeing a lady, pulling out of a church parking lot with those bumper stickers on her car.

Spectitular sight to behold....(pun intended)

Heather

Good news....

My sister and my sweet niece Emery are coming to town next weekend. I'm so excited, I can hardly see straight. It's been almost a year since I've seen them. I cannot wait to kiss those sweet little cheeks. Look how cute my niece is. The cutest little girl in the whole wide world. Luke is going to love seeing Baby Emery as he calls her and I cannot wait to introduce Santi to Emery. I think they'll be great little buddies. Amorette, I found some tortilla chips at World Market today that are gluten-free (just an FYI)

H1, I have your housewarming gift so when you get a chance give me a ringy dingy.

Lori, are we still on for getting that shower gift together tomorrow?

Allie, sorry I didn't have a chance to call you back today.

That's about it for tonight friends.

Off to get some shut eye.

Heather

Passion Roses.....Low-Lights

Look at this bouquet of beautiful passion roses I bought yesterday. Yes, I do buy myself flowers. Actually, these were for my "girls" (my monthly gals Pokeno group). I hosted last night. We had a good time laughing (at my expense) and imbibing on the finest wine (my current fav is Llano Estacado Sweet Red--thanks for getting me hooked Amorette). If you haven't tried it, you're really missing a great sweet red table wine. It was a huge hit. The nights not over until someone breaks a wine glass, which I did.

Finally, I got hub's to take a picture of my latest hair color. It's low-lights and the camera doesn't really capture the hue's too well, but you can get the idea. It has dark and light, hence....the word low-lights.

Off to create some jewelry,
Heather "the magnificent"....

That's Amore'....

"When the moon hit's your eye, like a big pizza pie...that's AMORE'!"

Here's the latest creation....a beautiful "Amore'" necklace. Black Czech crystal 18" necklace and 2 1/4 inch Czech crystal pendant.

Want it? It's for sale ($38)...and it's beautiful! I know, because I made it.

MOST important part....10% of the sale of this pendant goes to directly to www.its4thekids.blogspot.com (Pediatric Cancer Charity)

Designing for a Purpose,

Heather Rice

Here's the update....

Been so busy cleaning out my studio....got to get down to some jewelry biz. Stopped by a garage sale this morning and I bought a shelf to store my bling, bling on. It was so desperately needed. Only $10 buckola's. Not too shabby, oh and the guy even delivered it for me. I paid him an extra dollar for delivery...wink (gas prices are high these days and he was 1/2 the way down the street people...inflation)

To my sister in law "AMBA"....get your hiney to YOUR blog and update it. It's been almost a month, then you can rag on me! (double-wink)

I've been getting things in order to launch some more jewelry designs so stay tuned....Stamped Sterling silver, some awesome Crystal drop pendants (WAIT TILL YOU SEE THESE BEAUTIES) UPDATE: SEE THE "AMORE'" BEAUTY IN MY ABOVE POST My mind's been churning out ideas, thoughts, designs and it's been working overtime. Meaning...some ideas have come while I lay down trying to nod off to sleep.

Luke's been at gymnastic's camp all week and he's loving it. His favorite apparatus, the "travmpoeween" as he calls it. He'll be doing camp again next week. May have a future olympian on our hands. He also is becoming quite fond of The Transformer's (thanks to Daddy). So, that's all he's been asking for, for his bday in 2 wks. Apparently, the most popular transformer is Optimus Prime....Luke calls him, "Octopus Crime". Isn't that hilarious. Part of it is his nasty tonsils that are causing his speech problems....but those babies are coming out in 2 weeks. Thank goodness, he's snoring like a locomotive. Between me hearing him on the baby monitor and Daddy snoring right next to me, I feel like I'm in a SNORE SYMPHONY.

I've been being silly (see above pics). Hope everyone in blog-land is well. We're enjoying the summer. VBS is coming up in a week, so Luke's excited about that too. So many activities, so little time.

Peace out Peeps,
Heather

I know, I know

An update is needed, I will get it done by Sat. I PROMISE! Stay off me blog nazi's.

Peace Out!
Heather

Beauty School Drop-outs....

A playdate with Tristan and Santi....