2012 Review....

Happy New Year friends!

I can't believe it's been as long as what it has since I last posted...that was certainly not my intention!  The truth is that I've wondered if I should keep blogging at all and entertained the idea of shutting Kaufman's Cottage down completely.  I had to ask myself why I started blogging in the first place!  Once I thought it through, I realized that it was never my goal to become one of those well known blogs with mega dollar giveaways, tens of thousands of readers and a picture perfect home.  With all that being said, if you are still here and are reading this, thank you!  I look forward to getting to know you much better and hope that you will take the time to comment occasionally.

Like many of you, our 2012 came and went in a blur.....here are a few highlights of what our year looked like:

My favorite craft project of the year!

He Has Risen banner for Easter 2012

Decoupaged Eggs for Easter 2012

 

Easter 2012 

Our first garden 2012

Summer 2012

Replacement Furniture 2012

Replacement Furniture 2012 (2)

Brian's Seahawk Birthday 2012

 A little bit of fall 2012

A recovering husband 2012

Christmas 2012

I pray that this year brings everyone nothing but blessings and happiness....thank you again for stopping by!

A birthday, anniversary and the beach.....

Hi all!

We've celebrated some special occasions around the Kaufman household over the last few days and I wanted to share them with you.....

Friday was Chris' 40th birthday! I have a hard time believing that I'm old enough to be married to someone who is 40, but that's my issue and not his as he still tells everyone he's only 28! :o) I'm not quite sure how old he is in this picture, but I love it.....

And here he is celebrating his special day.....

Saturday was our 17th wedding anniversary and we celebrated with a quick over night stay in Lincoln City, Oregon. I don't think I've shared this particular shot before.....

Honestly, I don't know how people can live anywhere other than the Pacific Northwest.....we are SO close to everything....the big city (Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington), the mountains (Mt. Hood) and the entire Washington and Oregon Coast. Seriously, how can you resist a view like this?

I can't!

I'll be back tomorrow with the cards I made for the occasions and a bonus card because it turned out so pretty.....

Have a good evening!

Will this be the Year?......

Source

Will this be the year that I don't think through nursery plans and birthday party themes?

Will this be the year that I wake up on Sunday morning and not dread the "Happy Mother's Day!" greetings from well meaning church members at the door?

Images via Google

Will this be the year that I don't gaze upon the beautiful face of a child and feel the ache of empty arms?

Will this be the year that I don't think through the 1 Samuel words about Hannah...."and the Lord remembered her"?

Will this be the year that I'm able to focus on how blessed I am to have a mother who accepts me unconditionally instead of wishing the day would just be over?

It's not my intention to bring about words of sympathy because of this post but to shed some light on how difficult tomorrow is for tens of thousands of men and women. Loss of any kind is a difficult road to travel and one that can be lonely even when you are surrounded by others. I pray for those who will never experience the love at first sight of seeing your newborn. I pray for those who have endured the devastating loss of a child. I pray for those who have children and neglect them. I pray for those with adult children who have left the home in a less than ideal way. And I pray that tomorrow you will kiss your babies just a little more often, hold your momma's in an embrace just a little bit longer and show just a little more kindness to those who are in a battle of heart wrenching proportions.

Will this be the year?

Master Bedroom Before and After....

It's been quite some time since I've shared any before and afters of our home. If you've been a reader for any length of time you already know that we bought the house in very poor condition in 2008. You can see more photos of it's progress by clicking on the Before and Afters tab located at the top of the blog. Ready?





















As with all of the other posts, I've tried to capture the same angle of the before and after shots in order for you to see things from a similar perspective. And while it's the smaller of the two rooms in the house, we have never regretted choosing this one for our room.

Thanks for stopping by....have a great weekend!

Our God is Greater....

I've been struggling to figure out how to put into words what's happening in our lives as I write this. Just a week ago I was consumed with thoughts of a floundering Stampin' Up! business, a broken relationship with a relative and the tragic images coming out of Japan. Then, all of the sudden things were put into perspective as we got word that my best friend has stage 3 Breast Cancer. Cancer? Really? I spent the rest of the week kind of walking around in a daze. Did I dream this? Is there a chance that the diagnosis was wrong? How do I face the possibility that I might lose her?

While I don't claim to know all of the answers, I do know this for sure. Tammy is a believer and will spend eternity at the feet of Jesus no matter when that time comes. If you are of the praying persuasion, I would be grateful for any prayers that you might offer up on her behalf. And if it seems as if I'm hit or miss around here, it's because I've committed myself to being there for her every step of the way.

Go and hug your loved ones.....tell them how much they mean to you and rest in the arms of a loving God that knows everything.

I'll leave you with this.....

Scrapbooking and an Award.....

Are you sitting down? Can you believe I actually created something?! While my mojo still seems to be avoiding me, I had a project that I had promised to complete so I just jumped right on in and hoped for the best!

Shana, my downline with Stampin' Up! had her first scrapbooking class last night and I made a sample using different papers and stamps in the same layout she used for their project. Here is her layout....

And here are my pages using the same design but in different colors....

It just goes to show that you can get a completely different look while using the same basic design. And it was really good for me to actually complete something! :o)

I'm going to do a little more CASE (Copy and Share Everything) work this week to see if I can jump-start myself and will post anything I get done. Wish me luck!

Thank you for the visit!



PS - Look what I was awarded by my sweet stamping sister at Seeing Ink Spots! Thank you!

I'm It.....

Trouble

I was tagged by Amy!

Here are the paraphrased rules:

1. Write the answers to the following questions out on your blog and replace any questions you do not like. *Since I liked all of them, I'll be answering all 20!*

2. Tag four people and they cannot refuse....um, I don't think that's necessary so while I will participate, I will not be tagging anyone else!

Here we go:

1. Do you have pets and if you do, do you see them merely as animals or are they members of your family?

We have one 15 1/2 year old cat who is spoiled to the point that she doesn't understand the word no. I figure she's earned the right to be pampered because of her age and I fully intend to let her live the rest of her life however she wants to. Within reason of course! ;)

2. If you could have one dream come true, what would it be?

I would have all of my loved ones accept Christ and live in eternity with Jesus and I.

3. What is the one thing most hated by you?

People who do not keep their word. Say what you mean and mean what you say or don't say anything at all!

4. What would you do with a billion dollars?

I would give 10 percent to my church, pay off the house, set up a trust account for my niece Emma and then have to prayerfully consider what to do with the rest because that's a whole lot of money!

5. What helps pull you out of a bad mood?

I have to agree with Amy on this one. I'm a loner....my alone time is essential to my well being and when I don't get enough of it I get irritable.

6. Which is more blessed? Loving someone or being loved by someone?

I would say loving someone.

7. What is your bedtime routine?

Putting on my pajamas, making Chris' lunch, washing my face, brushing my teeth, reading or watching Criminal Minds on ION until I fall asleep.

8. If you are currently in a relationship, how did you meet your partner?

Chris and I were matched up to walk down the isle together at a mutual friend's wedding. We walked down the isle that day and haven't parted since.

9. If you could watch a creative person in the act of the creative process who would it be?

The list is long! It's a toss up between Ree Drummond, Sandra Lee, Rachael Ray, Shelli Gardner, Teresa Collins and Bonnie at House of Grace.

10. What kind of books do you read?

This list is long too! Biographies, Christian Historical Romance, the Bible, Cozy Mysteries and any Jodi Picoult book except Songs of the Humpback Whale. I just couldn't get into that one!

11. How do you see yourself in 10 years?

Yikes! The thought of it kind of freaks me out! I would like to think I'd be healthier and more at peace but who knows? There are no guarantees!

12. What's your biggest fear?

Um, drowning!

13. Would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to visit outer space?

Um, no!

14. Would you rather be single and rich or married and poor?

Married and poor as long as it's Chris.

15. What is the first thing that you do when you wake up?

Turn off my ambient noise machine. I use it every night in hopes of drowning out Chris' snoring!

16. If you could change one thing about your spouse, what would it be?

I would give him a passion for traveling. I could see so much more that way!

17. If you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?

I wouldn't change it....I like Melissa.

18. Would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing that someone special has done?

Oooh....this is a biggie! I work on forgiveness everyday....some days I'm better at it than others but I believe that the trick is to keep trying.

19. If you could eat only one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?

If it didn't impact my health, I would choose Smokehouse Burgers from Ruby Tuesday!

20. What is the one thing you enjoy most about blogging?

The constant inspirations!

I'm not going to tag anyone, but please drop by the sites of the lovely ladies in my side bar!

Christmas 2010

Good Monday morning everyone!

We are down to the wire now with only 5 days until Christmas. Are you ready? My to-do list consists of:

1) Christmas Dinner grocery shopping
2) Baking
3) Finishing up a few Christmas cards

That's not too bad right? Wish me luck because if there is one thing I'm good at, it's procrastination! :o)

I snapped some photos around the house this weekend and as promised, am sharing them with you this morning. I tend to keep things simple....I'd much rather have a few things that I love than a bunch of things I don't. It helps me to focus on what's most important to me during this busy time of the year.

Nativity Set

Day Tree

Night Tree

I pray for a blessed Christmas for all of you!

A Reminder.....

Happy Black Friday! Did you get up early and go shopping? Not this girl! While I love shopping as much as the next girl, I love my bed a little bit more at 4:00 am! :o) Can I get an amen out there?

Thanksgiving has come and gone and I wanted to share one last post on this year's festivities. It's more for myself but just in case you've wanted a glimpse into my private life, I thought I'd post it here.

Yesterday, Emma (my niece) and I were alone in the kitchen. I was moving around cooking and things were pretty quiet as everyone else was out in the garage. I'm not sure how the conversation actually started, but I made some random comment about my kitchen. I want to say it was something along the lines of wishing it was more modern but that Uncle Chris and I didn't have the money to make any changes to it right now. Emma looked me right in the eye and said, "A lot of people I know don't have all of this fancy stuff." Suddenly I could see things just a little clearer.....my grandmother's china was on the table, a pot of freshly ground coffee was just finishing and the people that I love were gathered together out in the garage. I was so busy trying to get our dinner done in my 1957 kitchen that I lost sight of all that I am blessed with and it took a 10 year old's observations to bring my focus back into perspective. I immediately stopped what I was doing and looked at her and said, "You are absolutely right. And I'm thankful for what I've been given." And I truly am.

So thank you Emma for helping Aunt Melissa see things as they really are. You bring a joy to my life like no one else and it is my deepest hope that you never lose the ability to see things like you did yesterday!

Have a good weekend!