pillows for the Tree of Life Children's Village

I did these cute pillows with chitenge and they now live in the Freedom home with 14 little orphans who now have a safe home to live in!  Praise the Lord!

a baby gift...

Abigail means Rejoices so I thought this was a great verse to bless her with!

everything's cuter with a little Chitenge fabric

What is chitenge?

In American culture we cover the top parts of our body but show our legs and thighs in short skirts. In the Zambian culture breastfeeding openly is not an issue but if you are female you must keep everything covered from your midriff down to below your thighs. In Zambia this area of the body is seen as the erotic area and shouldn’t be shown, not even in trousers.

In order to preserve their modesty then, Zambian women, in rural areas especially, wear something called a chitenge. A chitenge is a piece of cloth, 2 yards or meters in length that women wrap around their body. The width of the cloth is long enough to cover you more or less from your waist to your ankles.

Go to a village in Zambia or the comounds in the city of Lusaka and it would be very unusual to find a woman not wearing a chitenge. It is a practical item too, it covers your clothes which can become dirty quite quickly in the dust and charcoal stoves, it can be used to cover your hair so you don’t smell of smoke from cooking and it can be coiled onto the crown of the head as padding when you fetch water and they are essential for carrying your baby.

The patterns and colours are immensely varied and I have seen chitenges with pictures of politicians on them, light bulbs, even mobile phones.  There are some incredibly beautiful patterns and colors and I am obsessed with them.  These days, I think all things are better with a little chitenge on it.  So I in my life of no Hobby Lobby or Michaels or really any access to art supplies I have been using chitenge for everything.  I use it for wrapping gifts, decorating the girls rooms, pillows and art!  I have found it a good substitute for the cute scrapbooking papers I used to use in the states for some of my artwork!

This is a piece that I did for a girl whe was here in Zambia for Camp LIFE.  I think it turned out really cute!  Let me knoe if you want one!

A kitchen I painted hours before we moved to Africa...

great video from when the boys were small

This video was taken after I got a box of bridesmaid dresses to try on for my sis-n-laws wedding.  I opened the box, went to the bedroom and tried them on.  I came out, maybe 10 minutes later, to find this....  BTW, to this day, I still occasionally find popcorn pieces around the house!

Hopes I have for loving my children well...

• Let there be much spontaneous celebration verbally of every hopeful sign of life and goodness in our children.
• Let us forgive them often and be longsuffering.
• Let us serve them and not use them.
• Let us lavish them with joyful participation in their interests.
• Let us model for them the joy of knowing and submitting to the Lord Jesus.
• Let us apologize often when we fall short of our own Father’s requirements.
• Let us pray for them without ceasing.
• Let us saturate them with the word of God from the moment they are in the womb (the uterus is not sound proof).
• Let us involve them in happy ministry experiences and show them it is more blessed to give than to receive.
• Let them see us sing to the King.
• Let us teach them relentlessly the meaning of the gospel in the hope that God will open their eyes and make them alive. It happens through the gospel (1 Peter 1:22-25).

oil paintings

"I pray that you being rooted and established
in love may have power to grasp 

how wide and long and high deep is the love of Christ."

This is a lilly that I enlarged by at least 100% 

until the background was more abstract.  

I wanted the lilly to be true to form and the 

background to have a more whimsical effect.  

 

is there anything better than little boys in a tree?

Maybe one dressed as a rockstar?

or maybe a little girl dressed as little bo-peep/princess?

Fall Wreath Makeover

Here is a picture of my "fall wreath" which I have been using for many years now.

It is starting to get REALLY BORING and I wanted a new one.  

Howver the ones I liked did not fit our missionary budget... 

So, I went to HL and picked up this great sign that reads, "With Grace Surround Us," and a gorgeous green acorn ornament and wired them to the wreath.  I used some double-face satin ribbon I already had and it freshened it up beautifully!   

and here is my sweet girl who wanted in on the camera time!

I Peter 3:4: one of our prayers for the girls!

This is a big painting I did for the girls room.  I was really happy with how it turned out and I pray that when we they look at it they know God is good and they are loved dearly!

Oaks of Righteousness

A painting i did for some friends of ours boys room.  I traced their hands for the painting.

2008 Christmas Card

Love this baby girl!!!

love this picture of my baby girl!

In Christ Alone...

SOLD!! for a sweet baby who is also an emmy but emersyn!

some art pieces...

Tree of life!

SOLD!!

"I pray that you being rooted and established in love will have power to grasp how high and wide and long and deep is the love of Christ."

"Peace be with peace you.  My peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."

SOLD!!

"whatever..."

The Kahleys guest room

This bedroom had just been transitioned from a nursery and the guest bed and bedding were stuck in there awaiting a re-do.  Here I come!

Guest Room Before

and after...

I wanted to do an eclectic mix of things.  Old and new, a little modern and a little traditional.  I found this beautiful rich brown floral duvet with a burlap trim and a reddish spice satiny quilt to dress the bed with.  I added a pillow made out of paper, which is really cool.  Burlap like panels dress the window.  Antique prints advertising sewing patterns for beautiful women's dresses are framed above the bed and a great hutch that will eventually house the flat screen hangs on the opposite wall.  On the bed-side tables are sitting the two most GORGEOUS tortoise glass lamps with the great black shades on them.

 a beautiful blue capiz bowl hangs above the towel bar.

Selah Center

Reception area BEFORE

This Doctor took over this practice from a doctor that was retiring.  They needed some major updating!!  We took out the window and closed in the wall and also the ledge above the doorway.  Everything actually looks so much warmer in person,  truly, it does!  I thought the walls needed some texture to them so we chose a very beautiful textured paper with beautiful bamboo leaves in warm brown tones.  We added some comfy furniture and great lamps.  The hallway has a water fountain that hangs on the wall.  The office incorporated colors and elements inspired by nature.

Reception Area AFTER

Reception Area BEFORE
I commissioned a painting of birds that references Luke 14.  I love how it turned out.  The artist did a great job and is a pastor at our church.  He is awesome!

Reception Area AFTER

Conference Room BEFORE

The conference room had THE MOST AWFUL FURNITURE in it!!  and truly that is being nice :o)  I found a great table and six beautiful parsons chairs on casters and slip-covered in them a great espresso brown.

Conference Room AFTER

The Engelsons Redecorating

This is Clay's sister's apartment in NYC.  It is such a cute home!  It is getting a little crowded with baby j in the "nursery nook" (which once was home to the kitchen table!)  So fun!  I am ready Dave's friend!  You too can have this adorable and welcoming home!

 Kitchen BEFORE

Kitchen AFTER

Bedroom BEFORE

Bedroom AFTER

Living room BEFORE

Living Room AFTER

Living Room BEFORE

Living Room AFTER