Day 30 of helpful words.

Tomorrow is one full month of my intentional helpful and encouraging words that I started on the 1st of January.

Over the past week I have practically:

~Called the kids together and prayed for our day, words, and attitudes, when the day has felt overwhelming and bad attitudes are in the air (kids and mine).

~I have stopped myself mid sentence several times and started again.
(I have to confess I have been soo grateful that this discipline is really helping me to catch myself and consider if my words are honouring to the Lord before they get all the way out.):)

~I have written little notes to the little ones.

~I have chosen not to gossip to my husband about someone when I was hurt and wanted to say something about them to make myself feel better.

~I have asked for forgiveness a bunch. :)

~I have blogged a bunch. (I don't really think this counts but hey, it has been a journal for me on this spirit filled venture.)

"Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragment to those who hear them." Eph. 4:29

Really this 30 days of Helpful words have brought life to me.  Choosing to speak words of life, thinking before I speak, asking the Lord for wisdom before I quickly discipline, considering what really is helpful and encouraging, keeping my mouth shut more often have all been a wonderful new start.

If you have a chance read Ephesians 4 it is a great place to be reminded and encouraged on how we use our mouth.

Seriously though this is something I want to live not just for one month but for my life, it has been a great start.

In my little west corner ~
Becky

Sneak peak into my girls room

Stencilled cork board for bunk bed. 

Vintage dishtowels sewn together make a great curtain on the bottom bunk. 

Bought those dish towels in the states this year for $2.00 because I liked them so much, now I get to see them often. 

The cork board and the curtains make it cozy and keep things hidden in times of need. ;)

The Philippines 4:8 free printable is found HERE.

(Scroll to the bottom of her post to find the printable.) 

I made cute little button thumbtacks for the cork board. 

All you need is a glue gun, thumbtacks, buttons and 5 minutes. 

A small flower mural and a printable.

Printable found HERE.

I have always called Lydia my sunshine girl so this is very fitting for her top bunk. 

Little by little as I have had time and ingenuity with my ideas the girls room is coming together. I have tried very hard to just "use what I have" here in my home. Like the cork board for the bunkbed I have had for awhile and was determined to find a use for it. I love that I discovered the TP stencil idea which is FREE and fun. (idea found here)

Lets make something really clear (that is fun to say for some reason)... before anyone gets their hopes up, this will not be a perfect pinterest room, nope :) because that is just not me (perfect) nor is it my budget. :) (and I am happy about that really) However this room will be custom fit for my girls and for what we value in our home. 

I hope you enjoy and find some little inspiration and can enjoy the simplicity with me. 

Here is my pinterest link to my Girls room ideas! 

In my west corner being grateful for all that I have. 

Stay content my friends... 

Becky

Will be linking up here

and Skip to my lou,Round to it,Keeping it simple

Felt Art for my girls room.

Piecing together some felt for my girlies room.

What do you think?

Patterns and me, well we forget about each other, until half way into a project.

This  piece  "love on a hill" was made with the very LITTLE felt I had left.  I decided to cross stitch a bunch because of my lack of felt and I am very glad I did because it helped me try something new and add texture to the picture. I also overcame my intimidation of black thread. I really enjoy how the black outlines the hills. I used a few beads...one for the door knob and red ones coming from the chimney. :)

I am excited to add this sweet colourful piece of heART to my girls room.

Free art for the wall! 

Do you think it looks finished?  I was thinking about a cloud? 

This is what my kids were doing when I was sewing this project:

They were colouring in a doodle that quotes Julia Child:

"Find something you are passionate about and stay tremendously interested in it." 

I am determined to create. Creating with and around my children often makes the projects longer, and can test my patience, but I love to ask their thoughts and advice, I also love seeing them use their own God given creativity. For me creating is like breathing, if I don't do it I get a little dizzy in the head. :) Creating keeps me clear and focused. 

I have the girls room 80% finished. I have even begun the painting process in their room.  I look forward to capturing all the 'use what I have color in their room' it in pics and then sharing about it.

Good evening to you all. Iyi aksamlar.
Using what I have to create a little piece of heART in my home,
From my west corner,
Becky

Contentment in a doodle

Now this my friends is contentment in a doodle!  

Love this quote!

Doodle art by HOMEGROWN HOSPITALITY.

Direct post:  Practice contentment doodle


A simple life: learning to live with less, learning to be grateful for the little things, learning to curb appetites, receiving Gods extravagant blessings humbling without guilt or greed, remembering you are blessed to be a blessing.

A quote form my journal "Remember Becky always remember life is not measured by how much you own (or things you have). "

"One's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." Luke 12:15

Desiring to keep life simple so I can see and hear my Saviour better,
In my little west corner of Turkey loving this doodle, 
Good night
Becky

The grey coat crowd

Pulling into my sons preschool one foggy morning there were lots of older kids lining up outside for the Turkish National Anthem, the middle school and the preschool are connected. As the song begins everyone stops where they are and respectfully waits for the song to finish. (Every Monday and Friday)  You could hear a pin drop. Even the little kids going into the school are held back to wait and told to be still until the song is over. When the song is finished and all begin to find their places this way and that way. I see a sea of grey and black coats. The girl wearing the light orange coat sticks out and my eyes are drawn to her in the midst of this very grey morning. 

Then I realise that I too added to the grey madness surrounding me, because I have a grey coat, grey hat and mittens! However I breath a sigh of relief as my scarf is my saving grace of green and fusha . I am not sure what it is culturally but grey and black seem to be the dominate colour in winter.

During the winter I miss color. 

Winter here is difficult as there is little ability to get outside and outside is often dreary. I crave colour. At my little girls' school handmade scarves and hats are plentiful and it seems that grandmas, aunts and moms unleash all there knitting abilites to help bring a little life to the winter by their colorful products bestowed upon the heads and necks of their little ones. This is always a bright spot in my day. 

This bright red door caught my eye and made me smile!

  

So I say to myself on these oh so grey days, when the coal is billowing smoke out of the chimneys ... 'don't loose heart you color lover surrounded by grey, the beautiful truth is you will tend to notice color more quickly and enjoy it more fully when you see the splashes. '

" I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the dawn, and settle on the farside of the sea, even there your hand will guide me and your strength will support me. I COULD ASK DARKNESS TO BECOME NIGHT--BUT EVEN IN THE DARKNESS I CANNOT HIDE FROM YOU. To you the night shines as bright as the day. Darkness and light are the same to you."
 Ps. 139:7-12

During this winter where I am homeschooling my oldest for the first time, my middle daughter is in 1st grade with all its hours of homework, my son jumps off the couches, chairs and his sisters;the days have been rainy, and we are on the 5th floor overlooking the street with lots of construction, my heart finds hope and joy that:

THERE IS NO WHERE I CAN GO THAT IS TOO DARK (or dreary) FOR GOD'S RADIANCE! :)

Finding peace in God alone, In my little west corner ~ Goodnight.  Becky

quick note: we have had 2 days of sunshine, since I typed this out. 

Day 18 of helpful words

For me today..and maybe for some of you too.

Grace of Grace Etsy shop.
I enjoy her prints!

I am reading The Ministry of Motherhood given to me by my sis-n-law. Thank you Chrissy

There are just enough nuggets in this book that I wanted to share it with all of you. 

This book has been a great to read along side my '30 days of Helpful words'. 

Practically: When I pray with my kids at night I have really started praying words of life and faith.

Building them up as I pray and seeing them in faith. I have started to look forward to this time with each of them, as before it was just a standard almost routine goodnight prayer. 

For example: Thank you God for Lydia and all the talents and gifts you have given her, please use her love to dance to honor you. Thank you for putting her and her laughter in our family use her to bring joy to others as she grows. Help her not to keep the gifts and talents you have given her to herself.  etc.

As I pray in faith for my kids it really has helped me during the day to see them in faith and to speak more encouraging and helpful words. 

Humbly yours,

 in my west corner, desiring to give life with my words,

Becky

Scarp Fabric Curtain + giveaway winner

Our Scrap Fabric Curtain is complete. :) 

With bits and bobs of any and everything I could find in my sewing stash, 

I ended up with this for my girls room. 

I made this curtain pretty tight at the top. With lots of strips of fabric. I wanted this curtain to be functional, as the window that the scraps are covering looks out into other apartments. I actually think I am going to try and put 3 to 4 more strips in, just to make sure it is private.

I used:

*3 different cotton fabrics

*1 thicker polyester curtain to help with privacy and the sun

 (for all you living in Turkey - I used a white Guneslik)

*Ribbon

*1 scarf (which I might want back ;))

*1 button strand

I ripped the fabric into strips of 4 inches.

I cut the ends of my fabric pieces in different ways to give it a little texture.

I tied the fabric like a mens tie - making sure that each piece of fabric that was tied was facing the same direction.

I still have yet to put hooks in each side of the window casing and make a tie so we can pull the curtain back especially in the summer...

(The great thing about this (for those living in Turkey) we didn't have to drill into the cement for this rod we screwed into the side part of the window and it worked perfectly!) 

I am still working on the rest of the room. 

Sewing a bit, painting a bit, rummaging through old frames a bit. :) I have an old cork board that I found the perfect place for... I look forward to showing you as I complete each little part, which might take a bit. ;)

I am thinking about painting a small mural. Here is some inspiration I found from one of the blogs I follow. Talk about INSPIRATION! 

This painting is done by Chrissie @ In His Grace

 I really enjoy Chrissie's art and her blog. If you have time go by and visit! 

In His Grace

Using what I have to create beauty in my little girls room: today it is with scraps of fabric. 

Delighted with the life I have been given.

 Grateful for the talents I have been gifted with. 

Desirous to use my life and talents for the Glory of the King.

In my little west corner,

Becky 

 Winner of the 2013 Graphic art Calendar: Melissa 

Please contact me Melissa. I sent you an e-mail but need a confirmation! 

Linking up this post to these great blogs! Check HERE to see some great parties.

Lil Luna,Free pretty things

Nightowl crafting,Sew mach ado,Someday Crafts,Tea rose home,Skip to my lou,

Jembellish A round tuit,Homemaker on a dime,Sew Can Do, 

Keeping it simple

Sneak peak of some HOMEmade decor

This is a little peak of what I have been working on:

Bunk bed cozy curtains

Scrap fabric curtain

(these have continued to evolve... fabric, a button strand, ribbon, and a tissue paper pom pom all are apart of this scrap fabric curtain.) 

Bringing life to an old table

Can you guess what room all this is for?  

We have lived in our apartment here in our little west corner for 4 years now. Over the past two years I have done very little to our place because the owners were planning on selling. Well the owners are still trying to sell and we are still here, soooo enough of waiting for everything to fall into place.  Here I go unleashing my pent up desire to nest and preform colourful masterpieces in my home. :) As of now the room I am giving all my passion to is the girl room.  

Ah yes one more thing, I am trying to decorate with using what I have and not really spending money. :) 

I'll be back the beginning of next week to show you the progress. :) 

May the God of all peace, guard your hearts and minds in him. May you walk in contentment of heart, trusting fully in the God who created you. 

~Creating color in my little house in my little west corner.

Becky

If you want to see some ideas I am checking out

Click: Girls room ideas on my pinterest

30 days of Helpful words

This January my desire has been to watch the things that come out of my mouth. 

While I was reading Ephesians 4 and the last part of verse 29 stuck out to me, 

"Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will an encouragement to those who hear them." I was struck by the words HELPFUL and ENCOURAGING. So my goal this month has been to test my words to see if they are helpful and encouraging.

This my friends is my new prayer. 

Seriously, this would be a perfect plan!

Pinned in my Pinterest under Feeling it

2 practical things 

 1st thing) When I share with my husband about my day or my thoughts that I would be careful not to allow my words and attitude to ring with a negative tone. It is easy to be unguarded with my words when it comes to my husband, he is a great listener and my best friend. However my words effect him and my outlook and attitude.

2nd thing) That I would steer my kids positively when correcting them or speaking to them. 

For example: The other day I heard myself saying to my kiddos:  "lets not be so lazy", when my kids had left their things on the floor. 

Instead I can say "lets be faithful with what we have and try not to be lazy". 

 "Set a guard over my mouth O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." Ps. 141:3

So this is day 10 of 'Helpful words' in my house. I need the Spirit to guide me and give me grace. Not every day of the 10 days I have succeeded. My goal however is pay attention to the things falling out of my mouth and to begin to guard them.... and trusting this will produce a new pattern in me and my family.

In my West corner,

Becky

Don't forget the giveaway:

A Graphic art 2013 calendar  Sign up HERE

2013 Graphic Art Calendar GIVEAWAY

Happy 2013! I have this thing with cute calendars. Wall size, desk size, cd size etc....love em all.
Don't have one right now but love 'em all . :) I saw this calendar sometime ago and really liked it. So I thought : what a great time to get a new fun calendar, don't you think.  I am delighted to say that Luvalexa Etsy Shop was happy and excited to do this giveaway with me....

THIS sweet calendar by Luvalexa is a printable, so you will be able to have it as soon as you win (or almost anyway). :) I was thinking of all my Turkey followers with this giveaway as pretty calendars are hard to come by here and this will be simple to print off.


Note: This giveaway is for everyone ~ enjoy.

Click: 2013 Printable Calendar 

to see more views of the calendar and to check out the rest of Luvalexa's work.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2013 for me:
"So Christ has truly set us(me)  free, don't get tied up again in slavery to the law." Gal 5:1

Living free ~
From my little west corner,
Becky

This giveaway is now closed. :) Thanks for stopping by.