Pallet couch for our Home school room

OUr new PLace and SPace:

Here are a few pictures of our upstairs. (some are pretty grainy) We made it into our Homeschool/everything room. 

It is also where I give english lessons to a small class of boys. 

Well here we are: our homemade couch (pallet couch) and it is used ALL the time and is comfy with the thick foam. One day I would like to make a patch work cover for it ...one day. 

It also stores our Math -u- see blocks and certain board books. David found where they make pallets here and bought me 4 as a surprise for 9 lira a piece (that is about $4 each).

FOUR pallets?? - I wasn't to sure what I was going to do with 4 but I was excited and we have successfully used three - 2 for this couch and one for a desk we made. (pictures on that another time) 

I don't know if you can see it so well but I stencilled on our terrace door window. I used a stencil I found online for free and then used water colours and dabbed and sponged. It created a fun little design and is easily wiped off without scrubbing. So if you ever want to stencil a window... 

use water colours with just enough water to create a paste and dab and sponge away. 

Quick story: 

Although I have lived in Turkey now for 9 years there are still moments and situations where I feel intimidated by the culture, sometimes a little and sometimes a lot. 

This chair you see below is an example of me overcoming some of that fear and intimation I feel at times.  

In my little corner here there are a few used furniture places that are down a narrow alley in the downtown area.  It is a street with about seven or so little storefronts full of used furniture and household items. It is not a bad part of the town but for some reason it has always intimidated me and I have never went without Dave. (even though I love the thought of finding some treasure there)  

Well, I needed foam for our pallet couch and when I found out the price, it was more than we could afford so I decided to get over my 'I don't feel like I belong, intimidation issue' and head to the narrow street.  Let me mention that it is hard to get our big van in and out of the narrow street, and it is usually all men sitting about and drinking tea watching you walk up and down and into their shops. However I went and I was successful! I found foam for 10 lira ($5) and this adorable chair with wheels that I bargained for from 30 tl to 15 tl (about 7 dollars) from a very kind shop owner, mind you. So a victory for me and a huge savings on my upstairs furnishings!!! 

Here is the full span of the room. Yes it is huge, yes it is aMaZIng. We do not need this space for learning because I believe learning should and can happen in every room in our house but there are NO complaints from me. It is so nice to have an upstairs and not be worried about keeping the kids quiet all the time. So while we have this space we are using it to the fullest. 

The kids do lots of dancing shows, magic shows, forts and 

everything and anything else you can imagine. 

Here is a picture of two little boys I give english lessons too every Monday and Thursday. :) 

This Monday I am adding one more little guy.... we shall see how three,  5 and 6 year old boys do! 

Well Happy Mother's day to all you moms! 

I had breakfast in bed - homemade scones, green tea and fruit and was smothered with homemade cards. :) I am grateful that my husband and kids have shown their appreciation for me today. It is a gift to be appreciated and loved; not a right. 

In my little west corner in a not so 'little' apartment,

Becky

Homeschool j & j #2 - Puppet Theatre and show Part #1

Hey. So I have been thinking for some time how fun it would be for a puppet show.  I have been saving this big ole box for some time and I belive the time has come for a little theatre. a little show. a performance of sort. to happen right here in our home. So watch and be amazed as we transform boxes and felt into an amateur display of the arts. :) 

We are going to take a few hours of school each week to plan and put together a puppet stage, homemade puppets and a story or poem of some sort for the script. We are hoping to have it all ready before our wonderful and dear freinds who have lived in this city with us for the past 8 years pack up and go home. We would love to perform it for them...so two weeks is our goal.

Here is Part 1 of our Puppet theatre in pics:

Cute kid waiting.

Cutting and taping. 

Testing it out.

If you are interested in making your own puppet stage like this check out this you tube video it is perfect! (just need a big box)

Make a Cardboard Puppet Theater

You would think that both my girls would be completely delighted with this project. Well not so...nope one of them (who I will keep anonymous) is struggling that the results are slow and it takes steps and planning to make it come together, she wants it to go faster. This is going to be a great learning tool for her in follow through and how forethought and hard work pay off. 

 This idea involves thinking thru steps, math, reading and crafting to name a few. Not to mention learning to work together.  So I am feeling pretty good about taking our school time and putting this together. We shall see how it all goes...as this momma also is learning that 10 yr. olds and 7 yr. olds have lots of great ideas that are sometimes different than mine and wearing flexibility is imperative. 

So long for now. In our west corner. Using another cardboard box.

Becky

Cardboard Super hero house tour :)

Well as I shared a bit ago..(here).. that I made this super hero cardboard house for my little guy. 

I semi- promised I would show you more of it, so here it is. 

Enjoy.

The fun features are the trap door at the top and the workable jail.

I made the jail with a tea box. Also it has a secret passage on the side. :)

The beds are made out of cork board hot glued together and painted and the mattresses from foam and I sewed the bedding. The table is a lid and spool of thread. I have yet to make a few chairs for the 

super heros to rest their weary heroic bones. 

Here is the tea box and a pic to show you how I attached it.

Truth is Isaac loves that I made this for him but it is not on his list of favourite toys. It gets played with on and off. I think it would help if I made a few more pieces of furniture. However it was ALOT of fun to make and he often calls it 'special'. I love my little fellow and all the boyishness that he brings to our home!

Hope this is inspiring to someone. :) Here is the girls carboard dollhouses from years ago, (we still have one in good shape after 4 years!!) and another homemade toy from cardboard that I made for Isaac a few years ago can be found HERE.


In my west corner, Good night.
Becky

Welcome art (Hoşgeldin)

Welcome. 

A little piece of wood art. 

This is your first lesson Turkish lesson to all you none Turkish speaking readers out there. 

Hoşgeldin (hoshgeldin) = Welcome 

Still would like to add a wire so that it can hang, I also think that will make it look more complete. :) 

One fun thing about this piece is that I stained the wood with black tea, brushing it over the wood on and off for a few days and then letting it dry. 

I have a sweet friend I want to give this too. I am saving it for a Christmas gist. :) 

Off to make dinner. In my beloved west corner. 

Becky

DIY Dollhouse play helped soften a heart. (new pics)

I knew I needed to talk to my daughter. She had been angry and venting her anger through out the day.
We had been working through a few things over the past week and today seemed to be a breaking point.

As I was praying and thinking about her, I felt like I knew what I needed to say and was hoping that it would really hit her heart not just be words. My thought was to go into her room where she was playing dollhouse and have her stop and sit on my lap and talk with her. Just before I went to her she came in and wanted her brother to get out of quiet time to play with her, only he didn't want to play and she didn't want to play alone anymore and she again started to become easily frustrated.

I grabbed her by the hand and off we went to play dollhouse. As we played polly pockets I was able to share with her and I know she heard me and we were able to laugh and talk about truth in not such a heavy context. Her heart softened as we moved the polly pockets dolls from room to room being silly and pretending.

I don't always have these moments of knowing that I met my kiddos need in a way that hit their hearts but today I did. I met her where she was at and not in the heat of the moment. I took time and it gave her the time she needed and me the ability to respond in love and not just trying to fix a problem.

It makes me want to listen more carefully to the Lords leading with kids, not be in such a hurry to fix them up. It is NOT about changing their behaviour or making the hurt go away it is about leading them to the Truth and their need to relay on Jesus for every thing.

~My sweet daughter has a need we all have. We want to be loved and accepted and feel significant. However the truth is no one not even our immediate family members can totally satisfy that need. Even at 7 years old I want my daughter to know that Jesus says she matters to him that she is valuable to Him  and throughout life that is the truth she will need.

Below are some pics of our updated Scrapwood DIY Dollhouse.

We updated the dollhouse from this post and this post to what it is now some time ago. The kids are constantly moving furniture around and a few of the rooms I didn't take pics of.  I finished this refurb of the dollhouse months ago...but hey I am posting them now. :)

This little treehouse addition to the side of the dollhouse was given by our friends to Lydia for her b-day. It is super cool and a polly pocket toy so fits our situation perfectly.  

I love this room. :) How do you like that Turkish carpet. That is a remnant of a 100 year of Turkish carpet. :) This dollhouse has culture. 

We still would like to add color to the doors and pictures on the walls. Maybe next year. :) 

Again that is what makes a doll house so great, always changing and gives the 

girls fresh excitement for it as each little change happens. 

This beginning of a mural has been in the workings now for a several months. I just haven't been able to get to it and honestly I was running out of my little bottles of acrylic paint but a team from the States just came and brought me a few new colors that have inspired me....

(Here is the original post of the table I painted that you see in the pic)

Hope you enjoyed this post of honesty and the simple DIY dollhouse pics.
Grateful today that my children are still young and there is time to live life so close together.

In my little west corner,
Becky

A rock family for our balcony garden

Don't they look so cute sitt'in up there as snug as a rock in a sock. 

Seriously poetry is like a major gift of mine. 

We found a small farm just outside of town so we bought some seedlings:

cucumbers, strawberry plants, lettuce and cherry tomato plants. 

We planted our own seeds of  basil, lettuce, morning glories and cilantro.

We LOVE our balcony herb gardens we have done in the past.
Here and here

This year it will be fun to see what else we can grow on our balcony in pots and plastic containers. :)

The kids are especially excited about the strawberries. 

Of course a rock family for our balcony garden was an obvious next step, right?

Not sure how it happened but it was fun and those painted rocks sure are happy. 

They need a few little ones, don't ya think. ;) 

Our garden planting ~ rock painting day. 

Using the things we have like rocks and plastic containers to create lasting memories and splashes of colour to our days.

In my west corner,
Being me and doing what I do.
Becky

linking up to these parties. 

Don't forget~Homemade Play-dough the rainy day necessity.

Just a reminder, in case you forgot ....

Homemade Play dough on a rainy day/cold winter day. 

The day we made play-dough my kids were engrossed for 3 1/2 hours~ 

Seriously if you have never tried to make your own play dough....go for it!

It takes 15 minutes to make with your kids and is inexpensive.

We made a double batch!

Here is my recipe 

given to me by my sweet friend Alyssa. 

I have been using this same recipe for  5 years. :)

(I do have to get to Alum from the States. )

I wait until the dough cools down a bit then I let my kids pick the colors and mix in the food colouring with their hands. Messy is fun and the coloring comes off after a few hand washings. :)

Seriously look how happy this little guy is! 

Using what we have to enjoy our indoor days. 

This time it's home made play dough...go ahead make a double batch life is short. 

So do you let your kids mix there play dough colours?

In my west corner,

Becky

linking up here

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

Pom pom and felt garland.

This post is fun, festive and the epitome of my theme 

"use what you have".

                                     This little piece of fabric was my inspiration this year. :)

I am running out of felt and yarn. I have a random variety of pom poms from our

 Pom pom Christmas tree countdown last year and our
Pom pom ice cream shop. (I guess I have a thing for pom pons) ;)

Last year I sat around during the holidays and made pom poms out of my left over yarn and came up with this simple pom pom garland.

Lets just say this year it evolved. So this little garland was put together one evening with all my scraps.  

I would love to make it longer. Maybe I will sit around this Christmas and make more diy pom poms and next year I will extend this sweet Christmas garland. :)

Until then I will enjoy the randomness and fun.

Hope it has been somewhat inspiring to you in your Christmas decorating.

Using what I have - yarn, bits of felt and pom poms. 

In my little west corner,

Becky