Everything Crafty!

Hey everyone!  The countdown has begun and we're still accepting crafty things, handmade items, and basically anything you're willing and able to donate!  We're planning our online auction for 

Monday, October 18th - Wednesday, October 20th!  

We're so excited and already have some really great items that have recently been donated!

If you have anything that you can donate for us to sell, we'd love to hear from you!  Anything from embroidered items, baby items, handmade jewelry, creative gifts, etc.  Really... anything!

We have just under $8,000 left to raise and save up before bringing our baby home!  Now that we're just days away from being on the "wait list"... we want to be prepared and have the funds to bring our little one home when the time comes and we get that phone call!

Please don't forget, we still have ornaments for $10,  t-shirts for $20,  & Prints in various sizes for sale as apart of our other fundraisers we're still working to complete!

So, thank you ahead of time for your support and for those who have already shown their support!

Until then, Brantley

Finances and Blessings

Well, today has been a hard day in terms of thinking about money!  I know without a doubt that God will provide in His own timing and His own way.  However, we're still short a good chunk - $8,000 to be exact!  Now... before I complain about money, we're extremely blessed.  We started the actual process only 4 months ago and in that time have saved and raised a little more than $10,000!  That is amazing and HUGE financial blessing to us.  However, since our mega yard sale (raising a HUGE $2,500), we've since hit a stand still!  Its starting to get to me and I'm beginning to get discouraged.  Now that we will be starting our homestudy soon... that means we're getting one step closer to our baby.  That is awesome, while at the same time... scares the mess out of me!

Richard and I are very good with our money and very much for living within your means (budget).  We have tried starting off our marriage by not being in debt.  We've seen what it does to people and how it can destroy marriages, families and people in general.   We've worked really hard to be financially smart, & this is something we're extremely proud of.  So... we're still asking for your help in raising funds to bring our baby home.  We're still saving ourselves, but unfortunately, we're not able to save fast enough.  As a friend just wrote recently on her own adoption blog... Satan is against adoption and He's out to get us!  It definitely seems like a trend that just when you get enough saved... something happens and that money has to be used elsewhere.  :(

So... we're in need of some help and creativity!  Any ideas for fundraising is still greatly appreciated!  We have already done a yard sale, and attempted at giveaways.  Hopefully, we will have more in the works here soon.  Other than that... our next idea is to create ornaments to sell.  If any of you crafty or creative minds have some ideas for those... please do share!!!  :)  If I can get some help or volunteers together, I'm planning on hosting a "Ornament Making Night" sometime in the near future.  Then, I am hoping to sell them on my blog.  Hopefully, with your help, we can make this possible.

Look forward to some great feedback from you!

Until then... Brantley

1 Week, Plus Updates!

Wahoooooo!  Exactly 1 week until our orientation!  I know all of you reading will be glad when that day comes, and most likely not for the same reasons as me.  But that's okay.  I'm sure everything is tired of me giving the daily countdown for the last several weeks!  haha  But, its almost here and I'll try and refrain from going crazy this last week!  I'm just so stinkin excited for this day to finally get here so we can get this ball rolling!  Along with that, I have some updates on some of our many projects Richard and I have been working on.  The 1st one is the quilt we made for our baby.  Although it doesn't look entirely different from the last posts, it is now finished with the backing and all.  We decided to keep it the same size that is already was.  We sewed up three sides and will put a zipper on the 4th side.  I'm hoping to get with one of my best friend's mom soon and possibly get her to embroider some special things on one of two of the squares for me.  Just to personalize it more.  :)  (hint: the reason why the zipper will be there)

So, here are some finished shots.  We used a soft baby fabric for the backing and I LOVE LOVE LOVE how it turned out!  Can't wait to get it personalized more over the next several months.

Do you like it???

Also, I'm sure many of you have been eagerly awaiting a post about a giveaway!  As promised, I thought was going to have one this week, but no one has offered anything for the giveaway.  I can't give everything away by myself.  :(  So, if you or anyone you know may have something they would like to donate from a business or a project they have been working on, let me know.  We will give full credit on our blog, facebook page and include all necessary links.  Its all in fun and we enjoy giving stuff away. 

Also, many of you have been asking about our T-Shirts.  The shirts are scheduled to be in and ready for me to pick up on July 6th!  Next week everyone!  I'm so excited to see those.  Remember, everything we sell on this blog - 100% will go towards our adoption fund.  This is why we are constantly adding new things to sell.  (i.e.  Prints, Photography, T-Shirts, etc)

And lastly, I completely forgot to include the finished product shots of our dresser.  It was fine before... but didn't go with our crib.  Remember, we bought this beautiful piece of furniture on clearance from WalMart for $75 (it was being discontinued).  And, it is real wood, not that fake stuff!  Nice and heavy duty! It is really a buffet, but will work perfectly for our dresser/changing table in Baby Freeman's room.  You might remember what it looked like before, but just in case, here are the before & after pics!

Do you LOVE it????  I know we do!  Its so much more crisp and clean looking to us!  I LOVE it!  Also, I know the walls are painted blue.  They actually have been for quite some time.  Since we won't be selecting a gender for our baby, we figured we would leave them blue until we got placed.  This way, if it is a boy, then at least we won't need to paint.  If it is a girl, we will go paint shopping!  :)

So, those are my updates for today!  Hope everyone had a WONDERFUL week!  Happy 4th everyone!!!

Until then, Brantley