Decor – Page 5 – Skies of Parchment

December 20, 2012March 5, 2013

A Cottage Christmas

Merry Christmas!

It’s the week before Christmas!
How did this happen, time going so fast?
A year ago we were just leaving Colorado,
seven months ago our first son was born;
this year ~ WHERE has it gone?
Is it having three children that makes time nearly a blur?

I don’t like a life that feels busy.
I like it full, in a positive sense of the word, but not busy.
I like time to sit, to enjoy, to rest, to refresh, to create.
Lately it seems that we’ve been on a race against time,
and that I do not like.

Today, however, we slowed.
Unfortunately, it was the two little ladies of the cottage who awoke with fevers.
Too bad it was that which made us slow, but slow we did.
Sitting on the sofa reading books, watching Little House movies.
Drinking tea and hot chocolate.
Cuddling precious little children, because I can.

I love to watch life through the eyes of my children.
And Christmas ~ that added sparkle in their eyes,
the laugh that easily bubbles from their mouths,
the innocence, the wonder, the enjoyment of living.
From the a.m.a.z.i.n.g. gingerbread house party my neighbor Lauren did for a bunch of kids,
to digging in the depths of boxes hauled from the attic,
to singing songs
to the excitement of the gifts…
There is that precious innocence,
that feeling that all is right with the world.
It’s how it should be.

[mailing cards is a family affair. ♥]

I love to see it, to be reminded of the innocence of children.
Because this year, more than ever before, I’m aware of how all is not right with the world.
There is so much hurt, so much pain, so much brokenness.

There is my friend Ruth, who is spending Christmas with Jesus for real this year, and every day hereafter.
For her, there is absolutely nothing better. But for her family, her husband, her children, even as friends, it’s a loss so deep.
To walk life without her? How do we do it?

There is the school shooting last week, the loss of so many innocent lives, so brutal.
And they were only children, still only babies.
I cry when I think of it, I cry reading the news.
Because I have a kindergartner. How absolutely unbearable to lose a child in such a way.

And even in my own little world, there is the reality of pain, of woundedness,
of how imperfect life is, how imperfect I am.

I still love to look at Christmas through the eyes of my children ~
remembering the magical feel of Christmas.

[the most beautiful gingerbread party ever, given by Lauren!]

[zoe and olivia’s houses]

But this year? Maybe I’m realizing more than ever WHY there needed to be a Christmas.
I see more of the world how it really is.
Jesus came not because of a magical feeling,
not because this was an innocent world,
not because there was no hurt or pain.

He came because there was pain,
because there needed to be healing,
because there needed to be forgiveness of sins.
He came because His Redemption was desperately needed in this world.
There was simply no other answer, but a Savior.

So maybe I’m not feeling the “magical Christmas” of a starry-eyed child.
But I do have a heart filled with gratitude to Jesus.
That He didn’t leave us alone in depravity, in pain, in sin.
But He came to rescue us, to help us, to enable us to truly live.
What a Jesus!

I read a quote soon before my friend died that I’ve thought of often since then.
It’s not just about how life feels: it’s about the bigger reality.

“Any alleged Christianity which fails to express itself in gaity,
at some point, is clearly spurious.
The Christian is joyful not because he is blind to the injustice and suffering,
but because he is convinced that these, in the light of Divine Sovereignty,
are never ultimate.
Though he can be sad, and is often perplexed, he is never really worried.
The well-known humor of a Christian is not a way of denying the tears,
but rather a way of affirming something which is deeper than the tears.”
[Elton Trueblood]

I LOVE THAT!

And I am strengthened in my God, even in the midst of a wounded world.
This is not the end of the story!

______________________________________________________________

We’ve brought a little of the outdoors inside again this year.
I have a box or two that I bring down from the attic when I want to decorate,
a few ornaments, bows, the nativity set.
But it’s mostly greenery that I love to put around.
It smells just divine, and it makes the house so cozy.
If it weren’t that the pine and cedar start shedding needles by January I’d never want to take them down!

So, if you like, welcome to the Cottage at Christmas.
It’s simple, it’s what we like.

The pictures are just kinda snapshot quality, I guess.
I was having terrible troubles with my lighting and camera combination! :)

The Kitchen.

pinecones with snow spray = i have snow in south georgia!! :)

twine-wrapped bottles = nothing new.
modge-podge doily bottle = inspiration hit :)

The Front Door and Dining Room.

The Restroom.

The Girls Room.

The Music Room.

The Master Bath.

The Master Bedroom.

The Living Room.

This room is not coming together for me like I would wish.
Red drapes or white ones?
White slip covers or the natural sofas?
Color pillows or neutral?

Oh well.
Today I sit and enjoy it as it is. :)

I needed wanted a big chalkboard for the living room, but didn’t have one, didn’t want to buy one.
A trip out to Husband’s shed, several coats of paint on very rough plywood and voila!

And I must be real.
Those pictures of everything in place? That’s true.
It does look like that sometimes.

And at the very same moment, we can have spots like this:

or this.

It’s real life! :)

To all of you who take the time to stop by this little corner of blogland ~
thank you for reading and your encouragement through this past year!
I have been blessed so many times by you!

Merry Christmas!

November 19, 2012April 22, 2013

Autumn at the Cottage.

“There is nothing mundane about your life.
I have come to pour my abundant love upon you lavishly.
Invite me into the corridors of your life, and let me show you how I can transform the everyday to the supernatural,
how I can give you more blessing than you can hope for,
how life in Me can be sweeter than you can ever imagine,
and how I’ve saved the best for last. ”
1 Cor 2:9 (GOD’S WORD translation)

[from a friend’s page this morning]

I had probably a thousand words written here, and erased them all.
They were reflective of the past four weeks,
and I think more suited for my journal than for the public eye.
Ruth will be missed, always missed. I will always treasure the sweet friendship we shared.
Sometimes I feel so much at a loss at how to go about life now.

But I’ve been given today.
With my husband, my children, my family, my friendship.
With those that are living.
Maybe not next year, or next week, and maybe not even tomorrow.
But I’ve been given this moment, today.
And I feel God breathing life into my soul and passion to live with all my heart.
Death puts into clear perspective what really matters.

And relationships are what matter.

With God.
With people.
Taking time for people.
Time with God, alone, just Him and me.
Forgiving.
Not holding onto a grudge.
Cherishing.
Writing a note.
Planning time for friendships.
Living a life that is poured out, not for self, but for others.

You know the line, “It’s the thought that counts” ?
Well, I would venture to say it’s not the thought that counts.
It’s the prayer that counts, it’s the word spoken that counts, it’s the time that counts.
A thought is just that – a thought with no action.
It’s the action that counts in relationship, not the mere thought.

Ann Voskamp, in her book “One Thousand Gifts” wrote,
“All beauty is only reflection.
And whether I am conscious of it or not, any created thing of which I am amazed,
it is the glimpse of His face to which I bow down.”

Beauty, and special little things, have always meant so much to me.
The last few weeks, they have been special still.
It may seem strange to notice them, and yet it causes me to worship the God behind them.
It brings me comfort to see God in even very small things.
They are just little things here at the Cottage, but I see God, and His beauty, in them.

On one hand it seems so shallow to go about daily life after going through such grief as the past month:
making baby gifts, working on My Faire Lady orders, blogging, making meals for our family and others.

And yet this is the life that I’ve been given.

And I feel a greater passion that ever before to live fully, to live alive.
This day is a gift I’ve been given – to live, to love, to enjoy, to bless God.

I do want to find God in my days,
even in simple beauty such a autumn fireplace mantels,
painted pumpkins on my front porch,
the autumn day…
I want to find little things like this and notice the preciousness of life,
the beauty that is there, and worship God.

To be still, and know that He is God…
and I love Him more than ever before.

I want to take time to smile into little eyes, to hug tightly, to live fully.

Death puts a new perspective on life, on what really matters.

Here are a few little things that make my heart swell with gratitude and thankfulness….

Fireplace mantel.

My mom sent me the link to make these flowers.
16 paper bags and about an hour later, I had made four of them.
They were super easy to make, and a fun project to work on!
I added the jute string in the middle.

The ‘give thanks’ I had written weeks ago…
and it’s a daily reminder of all the things I DO have to be grateful for.
There truly are so many things.

[white urn: thrifted
crystal candlesticks: thrifted
white pumpkins: spray painted :)
chalkboard: painted canvas]

Pillows from Burlap Coffee Sacks

I think this was a pinterest idea. My living room colors are neutral, so this fit in perfectly with the white/brown/neutral theme for autumn.
I already had these on hand, the first one was a sack I bought when I spent a few months in Guatemala, so it’s really and truly original.
I love these things that remind me of day by gone.

[number pillows: handmade
ruffle pillow: Target ]

Simple Dining Room tablescape.

Some pumpkins are real, some are plastic, some are painted white (since our little town hasn’t heard the memo about white pumpkins).
The spray paint worked quite well, and I was pleased…
…until little fingers tried to scratch it off… and off it comes. :)

Painted Pumpkins.

Several weeks ago my kids were saying,
“We never go aaaaaaanywhere!” and were begging for a funn activity.
Truth be told, we were staying home. A lot.
My sisters gave me the idea of painting pumpkins for fun.
Later I heard it’s all over blogland too? I’ve never seen them.

But one afternoon, when they were especially saying, “I want to go SOMEWHERE!”
we all loaded up in the car and made a trip to the local produce stand.
We bought pumpkins, little pumpkins and medium pumpkins, and I explained the project.
They were delighted.

I had entertained the thought of doing an online search for painted pumpkins to give them ideas of what to paint,
but then I realized it would only be for my sake. So they’d look okay.
The girls would have far more fun left to their own creativity than trying to follow a pattern, which would only lead to frustration.
It was a good choice to let them have fun.
They spent the better part of two hours working on their pumpkins, and it made for happy little girls.

Hunting with Daddy.

Ben took Zoe on her first hunting expedition.
It was bow & arrow season, and he scoped out a quiet, secluded spot.
“We saw their tails,” said Zoe when I asked if they saw deer. :)
It was a bonding father/daughter time, nonetheless.

Sewing 101.

Zoe had her first lesson on the sewing machine this week.
She’s shown interest in making things, so we chose a very basic thing: baby doll burp cloths.
[because, as we all know, baby dolls are ever so real, and have a great need of a burp cloth.]
I was very involved in the demonstration, but she was the one who pushed the foot pedal and guided the fabric.
She did a fabulous job, and I am very proud of her.

A Boy in the House.

I saw this hat and cap hanging on the dining room chair today,
and I smiled to myself.
There really IS a boy in the house.
And we cannot imagine life without him!
He is full of smiles and chubbers and brings so much delight to us.

First Riding Lessons.

Zoe has had an interest in horses since she could first talk.
We decided to let her take riding lessons for a time and see if it’s an infatuation or really something she loves.
Katy is from our church and is an excellent teacher.

Zoe was so adorable, so excited, and she chose her riding outfit.
I fell in love with her all over again!
The excitement of children just blesses my soul ~ they are so fully alive and uninhibited!

Olivia was dee-lighted to go along and watch.
And watch she did, perched 4 feet high on a hay bale,
FAR from the reach of all things frightful such as chickens and roosters.

Such are the precious moments in our lives.
They are there to cherish.

This little video clip made my heart burst with excitement and passion.
Our life on this earth is not the end of the story!
What a wondrous reality!

It is one of the best 5 minutes you’ll spend.
Thanks, Janelle, for the link!

aaaaaaand, this is my last week is my twenties!
*slight panic attack*

~ clarita

August 28, 2012March 5, 2013

There Was Once a Garden Wedding….

And so it’s part two of the wedding, way back in June!
I am so excited to finally have the pictures uploaded and ready to show you!

It’s been something on my want-to-do list ever since the day after the wedding.
Three babies, a crazy summer, Zoe starting K-5, and numerous other things have almost brought blogging to stand-still for me.
But even if I never blog again,
I am determined to show pictures of one of the most beautiful weddings I’ve ever been to!

Let me introduce you to

The Wedding of Kenneth & Ervina
~ a garden reception ~

This wedding was so special. From the calmness of the bride the week of the wedding,
to the many people that helped set up the reception, to the fun bridal party ~ it was just beautiful in every way.

Ervina was a bride unlike almost any I’ve ever seen.
Her prayer was that her wedding and week of the wedding would not be a crazy and stressful time,
as weddings can often be, but that it would be a time of peace and joy.
And her prayer was answered.
Ervina was radiant, refreshed, and peaceful the whole week.
I’m her sister, and to say that I didn’t see her stressed for a moment is saying a lot.
Her peaceful spirit carried over into all areas of the wedding.

The morning of the wedding dawned clear, bright, and perfect as anyone could wish.
And really, the whole day was simply perfect.
The ceremony was like a worship experience,
and the sweet presence of Jesus was so clearly evident that day!

Because of how the day was planned with the photographer and everything else, it was such a relaxed morning.
The bride went running early in the morning, and returned for some quiet time with Jesus before the day began. ♥
Some of her friends brought her Starbucks coffee as she was getting ready,
and another brought souffles from Panera for the bridesmaids!
Goodness, it was fun.

Details
Shoes – purchased from Target.com
Embellished with flowers and feathers by yours truly

Dress Sash
Francesca’s provided part of the inspiration with the cream flowers,
and I filled in with the white, lace, and bird cage veil netting.

[goodness, not to draw attention to it or anything, but i’m rather in awe of her tiny waist!]

My grandmother helped me finish up the last stitches. These hands are precious…

Beautiful bride’s bouquet.

The Bridal Party went to a beautiful old train station for the pictures.
Most of the pictures I have from there are thanks to a friend of the bride who snapped a few for me.

Ervina had an assortment of flowers for the bridesmaids to make their own bouquets the morning of the wedding!
I thought it such a lovely idea. Each bouquet was so unique, and reflected the style and personality of each bridesmaid.

My sister Jana ended up making mine for me ~
in between helping the bride with hair, french manicure on her toes,
my two girls with curling irons for their hair and getting dressed, my own self to get ready, I didn’t have a moment to spare that morning!
I loved the bouquet she made for me. Peonies are one of my very favorite flowers, and I had several of them!

The bridesmaids were asked to wear lace, in shades of cream, ivory, or soft pink, and could make them any style.
Ervina’s dress was lace also, so the only thing she asked was that they be knee-length to set her own dress apart.
The dress I made from a sheet and a piece of lace from an antique shop turned out rather to my liking,
although making it in my two-week postpartum state for the wedding at 5 weeks postpartum was rather a challenge.
[can we say that crunches began in earnest two days after the baby’s birth, and other forms of exercise began much earlier than usual?]

The shoes were also our own choice.
Remember the shoe dilemma I posted about before the wedding? So many pretty shoes, and I can only pick one pair?
I went a bit more fun and choose the cream with polka dots. I’ve worn them quite a bit since, so I think it was a good choice.

So many darling shoes!

The Bride & Groom

The day of being a bride… it’s a day that is gloriously wonderful, a dream come true.
Ervina was radiant and gorgeous.
Kenny’s eyes said it all as he looked at her ~ this man adores his bride.

The Groom & Groomsmen

Bridesmaids

Bridal Party

This is the only picture I have of the whole bridal party, so forgive the blurry, not looking, etc. etc.

Bride & Sisters

These two are the best friends in the world.

A light-hearted moment.

Family

Father. Mother. Third Daughter. Third Son-in-law.
[except we don’t call them in-laws in our family. we just call them brothers.]

Mother. Daughter.

The Barkman siblings

Sister with Big Little Brothers.

Sisters again!
This may or may not be one of my very favorite sister pictures ever.

The Barkman Family, now with three married daughters!

Zoe

Olivia

[edit: HOW could I forget to add that this particular flower girl was found in the swimming pool by Rachel Beachy and husband,
during the reception?? Fully clothed in flower girl attire and all. Thank goodness for friends. :)]

Flower Girls and Program Attendent

The Yoder Family ~ Groom’s family

Again, the only picture I have of the whole family. Sorry you all!
[is it better to not show it at all or to show it with half the people hidden?]

Kenny and his four beautiful and sweet sisters.
I don’t know who is more lucky – Ervina, to have them for sisters-in-law, or they, to have Ervina for a sister-in-law.

The dashing Mr. & Mrs. Good

Kenny’s nieces

beautiful sisters~

Jillian, darling flower girl

The most darling little two-year old boy present [nephew of the groom]

The Reception was held on my parents’ beautiful property underneath a tent large enough to hold 350 people.
It was gorgeous, it was simple, it was breathtaking.
It had a feel of elegant and royalty, but with the ease and enjoyment of a garden party.

I think I especially enjoyed it because our very own wedding was set in this exact spot seven years ago.
A big white tent was set up in the meadow,
the grounds were meticulously prepared by mom and helpers for months before,
and it was just a magical feel about it ~ both our wedding, and Ervina & Kenny’s!
Being there in that place with a wedding brought back so many special memories!

Ervina & Co. (meaning friends, family, & relations) helped create an outdoor seating area.
It was Ervina’s brainchild, and we enjoyed helping far too much.
Part of my wedding gift was the ‘Mr.’ and ‘Mrs.’ and ‘happily ever after’ pillows I made for them, which they used at the seating area.

The sofas and chairs were picked up at yard sales and second-hand stores, with the exception of the white sofa.
This beautiful vintage sofa my mother found for free beside the road!
It was missing legs, but that was easily remedied for the occasion.
I gave my family strict instructions never to part with the sofa.
I will carry it upon my back, from Pennsylvania to Georgia, if need be,
before they are allowed to sell it! :)
That’s how much I love it.

The guest book signing area, complete with Claudia’s vintage record player
that was actually playing as guests walked through and signed.

My husband helped create a doorway going from the outdoor seating area to the tent reception,
from beautiful old doors from Kenny & Ervina’s actual house that they had bought and were remodeling.

The guestbook, ideas by Ervina, carried out by Jana.

During their nearly two years of dating, Kenny & Ervina wrote many letters to each other.
They chose to do this rather than emails, for the sake of old-fashioned communication,
the fun of getting real letters in the mailbox, and having the hand-written notes.
If you notice, the top letter went all the way to Cambodia,
and it was not the only one Kenny sent during Ervina’s 3 months there the summer of 2011.
There were a bundle of letters at the wedding, but securely tied with ribbon lest guests think they were free for the reading. :)

A chalkboard timeline of significant events of their relationship.

Refreshements before the meal included make-your-own yogurt parfaits,
and three kinds of drink: iced coffee, strawberry lemonade, and sweet tea.
I’m not sure if the drinks were the hot item or if the guests kept returning for refills or because of the adorable straws in blue vintage jars.

My husband Ben and daughter Olivia, with my brother James.

Table Arrangement Details

The guest tables were set up in long rows, with white tablecloths and linen runners placed on top of them.

The centerpieces were wildflowers and flowers from friends’ gardens,
snipped and set in glass vases of all kinds – Ervina found them all over at thrift stores and goodwills.
It created such a symmetry, and yet diversity, that was gorgeous!

Soon after Kenny & Ervina’s engagement in October, Ervina and Claudia began collecting plates and goblets for the wedding.
Not just for the bridal party, but for all 350 guests!
It created such an elegant atmosphere with the real china, and yet the uniqueness and diversity of the plates made it fun and relaxed.

As for favors, Ervina and some of her friends made strawberry jam and put it in small glass jars, embellished with lace and twine.

The Bridal Table was similar to the guest tables,
but with all white and green arrangements, chargers, selected plates & goblets, and cloth napkins.
There was a gentle beauty that was breathtaking about the day, and about the reception, and particularly this table.
It was such an honor to be seated there!

We made the lace hoops from lace Ervina collected throughout her engagement and from large embroidery hoops,
and hung them alternating with glass jars with candles.

kenny & ervina 1584

Our own little family. ♥

And thus concludes the day of loveliness…
May their marriage be even more beautiful.

To see more images, visit the photographer’s website here.
Tori captured some beautiful exquisite pictures of the day, and her style of photography is so natural and creative!
If that post receives 25 comments, Ervina will be enter a drawing for a big enlargement, so comment away on there! :)

~clarita

July 27, 2012March 20, 2013

There was Once a Garden Party…

[this is the first installment of the Barkman/Yoder wedding
(not my own but my sister),
beginning with a bridal shower done splendidly by the maid of honor
[also my sister, Claudia].
i don’t like to say things are my favorite, because every party is unique and special.
however, hypothetically, if i were to have favorites, this one would be it.]

It was absolute perfect fairytale-ish evening, and i must begin with this.
Two evenings before the beautiful wedding,
the bride was relaxed enough to simply be and enjoy a dinner in her honor.
Most brides would be stressed with an evening event so close to the wedding;
not Ervina.
‘Stress’ was not even a word experienced the entire wedding week.
The loveliness of this evening was only a foretaste of the beauty and peace to come.

Might I show you a glimpse of

The Garden Party

[words written by the bride, Ervina]

Once upon a time, not very long ago,
the best maid of honor in the world threw a splendid party for her bride-to-be sister.

Some of the bride’s dearest friends were there, the ones that live so much of life with her.

And everyone wore lace, because lace is very party-ish.

The party was full of bright colors.
There were jelly beans in vintage glass bowls.

And homemade popsicles with real fruit that the maid of honor had experimented with
for weeks to get just perfect.

And delicious food fresh off the grill.

A friend made her famous scones, just for that night.
Chocolate chip scones, with icing.

Coffee was served in glass mugs (the bride’s favorite).

For dessert, they ate gelato with pretty spoons,
because everything is better with pretty spoons.

Somehow in the middle of things, a boy slipped in. B
ut that was ok, because everyone positively adored him.

So among doily banners and strung lights and sunlight peeking through the trees,
they soaked in the warm summer evening and laughed and talked and celebrated.

It really was too lovely for words.

And the bride-to-be felt like the luckiest woman in the world.

Because she was.

And that is only a beginning of so much loveliness to come… :)

~clarita

June 1, 2012March 20, 2013

I’m Thinking of a Wedding…

… that will be in exactly one week from now, in lovely Pennsylvania.

It’s my second sister’s wedding!

I’m beyond excited.
We leave tomorrow to spend some time with the family before the wedding.
And to help as much as possible, of course.

Without giving away too many secretive details,
it’s going to be a church ceremony and garden reception.
The evening reception is what I’m dreaming of ~ the candles, the magical lighting at dusk,
the festive celebration of the Two becoming One.
Such a beautiful mystery, and even more amazing to be able to represent a much greater Picture,
that of Christ and His bride.
Wow.

I think weddings are a foretaste of Heaven.
The forever of a marriage.
The celebration and excitement.
I LOVE WEDDINGS.

Zoe and Olivia will be flower girls once again, and they are thrilled.
This time they know what to expect, and they are rather proud of their little role. :)

They’ll be wearing little lace dresses…
[gap.com]

Ervina, the bride, is as sweet as ever a woman could be. I adore her.
She’s thoughtful and sentimental, which I love about her.
Her Christmas gift to me was this:

Is that not the sweetest, most creative idea?

I was ever so delighted to accept!

The bridesmaids will each be wearing something different. I think that makes it so fun and unique.
The only stipulation was “lace and ivory/cream/blush colors.”

There were quite a few lovely lovely dreses to be found.
Namely, Downeast Basics [shown first] and Shabby Apple.

The following is a bit of fashion eye candy to me…

I bought from neither, but received inspiration from both stores and [said nervously] made my dress.
[from a goodwill sheet and yards of lace from a junk shop, she whispers with a red face.
husband was so embarassed, “we’re not that poor, he said.”]
My dress is a combination of the two center dresses.

My belt arrived just today, not day to lose, before leaving the next morning early.
And I ordered both, because I wasn’t sure which one would look the best.
The other will be given as a gift, I suppose!

[mikarose.com]

Triple Flower Belt

And shoes! We’re to wear flats, of whatever we like. Colorful or not. I’m going with a nuetral look.
But oh, just look at the parade of shoes available!

[target and payless online]

[these also came in a nude color, i think they’re lovely]

I’m been making some of these as well…

And little Hudson needed a shirt f.or the wedding
Whoever said you can’t dress boys cute? I’m having loads of fun.
Well, he’s only been out of a sleeper once, but still. :)

Have a lovely weekend, this first of June!

~ clarita

April 16, 2012March 20, 2013

The Wedding {in pictures}

Ahhhh, the wedding.

[in the which a sister shows a hundred pictures of wedding and details and fond memories]

Or, should I say, The Wedding!

What an incredibly lovely day. A wedding among weddings [if I may say so myself, it being my sister’s wedding].

I’ve been wanting to post pictures for almost two weeks now, but due to having some time in bed due to too-early contractions one week, and a computer at the shop due to a virus last week, I’m finally back trying to play catchup. And bear with me, this is my first sister’s wedding, so there are many pictures and details. :)

The weeks surrounding it were full of planning and a bridal shower and preparation and program making & editing and lots and lots and lots of work. :)

The week prior to it was extra busy for me ~ I had gone to Pennsylvania almost two weeks before the wedding, with Ben planning to join me after about a week. The day he planned to leave there was a tragic death in his extended family in South Georgia, and he ended up staying in the south until the day of the wedding, arriving in time to watch the girls as the bridal party took pictures. It was a crazy week for both of us because of all that,

But The Wedding! A sister’s wedding is so much fun! My first sister to be married ~ what an exciting event!

There was much preparation for months in advance.
Zoe and Olivia were asked to be flower girls, along with another two girls, and they were wildly excited, even though they weren’t sure what all being flower girls even meant. :) I made some flowers and pillows and accessory things for Jana for the wedding, and so the months before were busy with sewing and pretty-making and outfit-hunting and phone calls and all sorts of things! This was a wedding of details ~ from the planning to the carrying out of the plans, there was detail to be found everywhere by Jana.

The Preparation
It was so very fun for me to make some little things for Jana from across the distance. If we’d be living in the same area I know I would have been over a lot to help her. But since I wasn’t and couldn’t, I told her I would still help her out in any way I could. It was very little in the grand scheme of things, but made me feel like a part of it at least. :)

[lots of flowers pins in plum & charcoal & burlap & mustard]

[little dress made out of a girls’ top from Old Navy and altered]

[wristlets for the girl servers]

There was pillow making. I made 7 pillows of charcoal and plum, and these were given as gifts to the bridesmaids and a cousin. I dubbed myself ‘The Pillow Factory.’

And I forgot to take pictures of two burlap pillows that say ‘MR’ and ‘MRS’… [shown on the photographer’s site]

There were little shoes to embellish, just for fun…

We bought these shoes at Old Navy and Kmart, respectively. But they looked like they needed just a little extra sparkle.

Sooooo, some thread, some pretty beads, and a hot glue gun…

And several hot glue gun re-attachments as we tried out the shoes, and some changes made, we were satisfied. However, on the silver shoes so many of the little beads popped off with the first use,
that I removed them all except for the big rhinestone and added a strip of lace on either side across the toe.
Pretty does still have to be practical. :)

Day before the wedding…
Some of the bridesmaids and friends went with Jana to get our nails done. I took Zoe with me, and it was her first time at a salon where SHE got her nails painted. She was open-mouthed and speechless with excitement. :)

Zoe chose three little flowers on each hand. And was she ever proud of those little flowers. It was precious!

The Day of the Wedding!

A bright and crisp day, but clear and windless.
Pennsylvania had been having some very windy weather which would have made pictures challenging as well as very uncomfortable. The weather that day was an answer to prayer!

Photo credits for quite a few of the bridal party & wedding day pictures go Danae, one of Jana’s personal attendants. ” She grabbed my camera and took pictures when it was impossible for me to do so!

[bride’s preparation]

Mr. & Mrs! Jana married Anthony Swartzentruber, a wonderful godly man, and an accomplished musician! We are so excited to have him join our family! You can listen to a few of his songs here.

Sadly, I have so few pictures of the two of them together.

The Bridal Party!

Bridesmaids ~ what a fun group of beautiful ladies.

Sisters! It’s a given, we are all in each other’s bridal parties. No questions asked. :)
Jana asked me to be her matron on honor, and I was very honored.
It’s not every bride that wants a pregnant bridesmaid 3 weeks from her due date!

All of us sisters are now either married, engaged, or dating. :) Just so much fun!

The Six of Us! How I love being part of a big family!

The whole Barkman family. We’re expanding by leaps and bounds. :)

My dad with Olivia, and our two girls with their daddy whom they hadn’t seen in 10 days.

Little Girls of Mine…

Their hair was so beautiful done for the 2pm wedding… at 9am in the morning. Big mistake. Within an hour you couldn’t tell a thing had been done to it! And all day I was running around behind them trying to make them look like they did indeed belong to someone who cared. :)

Barn Reception Details!
Like I said, this was the Wedding of Details. Also, the Wedding of DIY. She created the wedding theme & decor style and made almost all the decorations herself, spending weeks on various projects! And in honor of Anthony’s love of music, there was various musical accents in the wedding and reception.
[reception tables detail]

Table
Style #1:
Jana made these twig centerpieces herself – painted the clay pots and freehanded the roman numerals, cut out the little birds out of music sheets, and gathered the twigs from a surrounding orchard after they had trimmed the trees. They were beautiful, especially in the evening candlelight reception.
These were set on pages of sheet music and surrounded by moss, on burlap squares.

Table Style #2:
Tall cylinder vases with rocks on the bottom, filled with water and lemons, topped with hydrangea and curly twigs, set on a blanket of sheet music and moss with plum taffeta.

[bridal table details]

Old doors were borrowed from friends and placed behind the bridal table. The wreaths on them were made by friends.

The tissue paper balls and coffee filter balls were made by a friend of Jana’s, and were hung on three old ladders suspended from the ceiling. We filled in with paper lanterns, glass globes and candles, and 3 chandeliers. Jana created & organized the style of decor she wanted to hang from the ladders. She also cut up sheet music and put it into hanging glass ornament balls. She asked me to collect Spanish Moss from the south and that added a mystical feel.

It took forever to hang them all. It was gorgeous. :) I do think this was my favorite part of the entire reception, this whole ladder thing. (This was her idea)

Daylight [before] and Candlelight [during]

The Dessert Bar [and behind it, in the which we put up old doors and shutters and sconces and chandeliers and all sorts of things… :)]

Reception candids…

Ahhhhh, what a beautiful day!

Jana chose one of the best photographers in her area, so if you want to see even more pictures, you can visit Char’s blog. She is fantastic ~ her work is just out-of-this-world beautiful.

To the newly-weds… I wish you a marriage even more beautiful than your perfect wedding day!

A wonderful week beginning to you all!
~clarita

January 10, 2012March 20, 2013

Of Christmas Past

This week marks two weeks that we’ve been back in the south and in our own little house.
Back to the balmy 70′ days, although I don’t expect this to last all winter.
I’m just thankful for all the cold and snow we had in Colorado,
so now I don’t mind the warmth this time of year. As much. :)

It’s quiet time in the household.
One down for a nap, another quite content with paper, scissors, and glue stick.
And I quite content with a few cookies that a friend brought over yesterday…
If she knew how quickly we devoured that plate, well, I’d be embarassed. :)

We’ve had to find a new normal for our little family,
schedules and time change and even just being together most of the time.

In Colorado I was in class every morning, and now I find my patience stretched!
For three months we were only together half a day, and now we re-learn what is expected of each other.
Granted, in the past four weeks since leaving the west, it’s not been a normal schedule at all.
Much traveling and time with family and friends, and now getting resettled.

It’s taking the kids and me a bit of time to find a rhythm with each other again,
and honestly, there is some needed training that has been going on with the kids
as well as repentance and apologies from me.

I often think of the quote by Ann Voskamp,
I don’t remember whether it’s in her book or if I just read it on her blog one day…
“The parent must always self-parent first,
self-preach before child-teach, because who can bring peace unless they’ve held their own peace?”

It’s so very true.
Unless my heart is first at rest with my God and with the today He’s given me,
I will never be able to welcome peace in my children or my home.
Peace is not brought by forceful words of, “Guys, play nice with each other!!!!!”
or various other strategies. It’s brought only by the Spirit of the Lord allowed to indwell.

And as a dear friend reminded me once,
sometimes that means falling to my knees at the kitchen sink and pleading for His Sweet Grace,
first of all to be lived out in me and then that I can share it with my children.

Even when it feels like I don’t have time to stop,
like there are things to deal with now and I have to keep moving,
nothing is more important than allowing the Sweet Spirit of Jesus
to be present and to be residing and in control.

It’s not that I have some little hellions on my hands, not at all. :)
But it’s just that I desire our home to be one of rest and peace,
not one of chaos and perpetual cat-fights.
And I do believe that with Jesus, that is possible. It just starts with me, not with my kids…

[of christmas past]

[the whole dear family]

Barkman Newsletter Picture 2011

[the three dating couples, two of which are engaged!]

[fun family times]

A Pennsylvania Christmas 250 A Pennsylvania Christmas 223
A Pennsylvania Christmas 197

[family rule for christmas eve and day]

A Pennsylvania Christmas 190

[brown paper packages tied up with string, and other pretty presents]

A Pennsylvania Christmas 202 A Pennsylvania Christmas 239
A Pennsylvania Christmas 245 A Pennsylvania Christmas 249
A Pennsylvania Christmas 247 A Pennsylvania Christmas 246

[the tree, and homemade ornaments]

A Pennsylvania Christmas 200 A Pennsylvania Christmas 238

[christmas eve candlelight dinner]
A Pennsylvania Christmas 169 A Pennsylvania Christmas 164 A Pennsylvania Christmas 178 A Pennsylvania Christmas 179