Giveaway: Cotton Lane

Happy end of the weekend everyone.... it's been quiet on the blog the past few days since the big announcement... I'm trying to take a few breaths of fresh air, before going into "crazy" mode. I am in full fledged nesting mode...dumping, and organizing... and deep cleaning... and just "preparing" to add another body or two to this household! The hubby and I are still walking around with day dreaming smiles on our faces, our friends are excited for us, our immediate family couldn't be happier... so to celebrate this awesome time, how about a giveaway?

I've had sweet Caroline, from "Good Times Never Seem Sew Good" stop by before and guest blog post for me, but today, she has a little goodie for one special reader. But before I get to that, may I just say, if you haven't already checked her blog out... you NEED to. I have gotten to know bits and pieces of Caroline through her blog, and twitter and all those wonderful social media things... and she is one awesome gal. She's getting married REALLY soon, and I just adore her posts on wedding preparations, and she's also quite the talented sewer/seamstress (makes her own skirts) and beautiful creations that she has for sale in her etsy shop (that you should go check out...she has a spring sale going on!)... and lets just get this out there again, she's soooo sweet... so go and support her!

Aren't Caroline's new Eco-friendly bracelets colorful and fresh? She even sent a batch of these lovelies to me to bring along to Ukraine (kid friendly sizes) for the sweet little ones in the orphanage.

and the bow headbands in her shop are fabulous, and there is a variety of colors available... (this one just happens to be my favorite)

and if you want a sneak peek at an item in her shop that's on sale for a crazy awesome discounted price... check out this fun bunting pillow (you might just want to scoop it up before someone else does... I think it would make a fabulous Mom's Day gift)

But today, Caroline would like to give away one of my favorite items in her shop, a "Fresh Bloom Necklace" in my favorite Mustard Yellow.... to one of you... (I'm sooo jealous)...

Here's how to enter...

- Leave a sweet little comment for Caroline, and that'll get you one ticket into this giveaway...

-Follow my blog via GFC (on the righthand side of my blog you'll see the box), tell me in another comment... and you'll get another ticket into this giveaway....

-Follow Carolines blog via GFC and you'll get another ticket into this giveaway...

-Follow both of us on twitter: @kdaviscreates and @cotton_lane and leave a comment telling me you do... and you get ANOTHER ticket into this giveaway...

-Visit Caroline's shop, and add it to your favorites (for those that buy from etsy), and get ANOTHER ticket into this giveaway...

-Facebook, blog, or tweet about this giveaway, and get your last ticket into this giveaway... feel free to use: " I could truly be stylin' if I won @cotton_lane 's beautiful necklace that she's giving away on @kdaviscreates ' blog http://bit.ly/mrQEYx "

That's 6 chances for you to win this lovely necklace... so READY... SET... GO!
This givewaway closes next Monday, the 9th of May, and winner will be announced on the 10th.

We know something you don't know...

And for ONCE it feels good to know something that no one else knows (okay, except our case manager, and our immediate family)! But because we want to celebrate this sweet day with everyone, we want to share the good news with you all....

We will be traveling to Ukraine very very soon....

very very soon....

I know, it's killing you, isn't it... not being able to find out right away...

Don't we know that feeling.... that feeling of having to wait... to wait so patiently...

Alright, enough torturing you (unless you cheated and scrolled down all the way... then, you spoiled my fun!)

We're have our appointment date in Ukraine on:

That means we have A LOT to get done before we actually leave, which will be about a week or 5 days before that date. Freaking out session... starts.... NOW!

Why Ukraine?

It all started 3 years ago... spring of 2008 to be exact, while the hubby and I were stationed in Germany, we started volunteering (we say we "hung out with") with high school military teens through an organization called, MCYM (Military Community Youth Ministries) and were asked to be leaders/chaperones for the missions trip to Presov, Slovakia. The hubby and I JUMPED on this opportunity, even though we had NO idea what we were in for. It started with a grueling 20+ hour bus ride... enough said. What was our mission while we were there? To serve and minister to the people of Slovakia, and help build a fence for a school to help keep out vandalism. All in all, it was an amazing time... while my hubby and his guys helped out with more of the construction side of building the fence, my group of gals and I did more of the relational ministry with the kids from the school, and in the surrounding neighborhood. Our days were filled with TONS of frisbee playing/football throwing, teaching English, face painting, and just LOVING on these little ones (and sometimes even the "cooler" older kids). The point is, this is when the hubby and I officially fell "in love" with Eastern Europe... this was the starting point of it all.

Throughout the week, I received "Slovak" language lessons from one of the sweetest little girls, Tamara... she was my "Opica", which means "Monkey" in Slovak. She would climb on me and try and tackle me any chance she had.... and I let her... it warmed my heart. While the hubby was helping out with the construction side of this service project, the kids in the school would sweetly stick their heads out of the window, and want to say "hello" to him and everyone else who was helping out with the construction. Everyday, little heads would stick out the windows and would want my hubby's "autograph"... they would hand little pictures they drew specifically for him, and just shower him with smiles. Later (as documented by the picture below), I figured out, it's because he won over their hearts when he showed up at the windows with a big bag of lolipops to hand out to the little ones.

Friends... this was a very special time for the hubby and I. I loved on those little ones like I have never loved on a little one before... and as the bus pulled away (with all the kids surrounding the bus, including my little "monkey" waving goodbye) my heart BROKE. I felt like my time there wasn't finished... like I needed to stay longer. I felt like a piece of myself was left behind. And that's when I knew, I knew that I could be a mom for a child that wasn't "mine" biologically... I knew that I had to come back to Eastern Europe for a child... and this is how the "serious" ideas of adoption (the hubby and I have always thought it would be "neat" to adopt and have an international family but never put it in the forefront of our lives) came about. So why Ukraine? Well, it's one of the only Eastern European countries where adoption is still "open"... most of the other countries have closed up shop. Everyday my heart yearns to be back there, in Eastern Europe, and I have NO doubt, that God has someone(s) special waiting for us there. I'm almost positive that my heart will feel "at rest" when the time comes that we finally meet our little one(s)... and if not, maybe we need to start round two (wink wink)!

Zero Motivation

My crafting room, is a complete and udder disaster... it's embarrassing to have such a wonderful/open space, that is in complete disarray. Sometimes, I feel like my life is such...

As much as I try and act like I have it together... I do not. I think it's sort of expected as a creative mind, to have a crazy disaster of a room... just like I think it's pretty human of me to have a "not-pulled together" life. Thankfully, I have an awesome Heavenly Father that does have it all together... and is MY rock. That, I take comfort in, and that gives me peace day in and day out.

Psalm 18:1-6

" I will love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. The pangs of death surround me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheoi surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears. "

P.S Anyone want to fly to Korea to clean this up for me? I have zero motivation...

"New" look

I've started creating a "new" look for all my photography clients and their high resolution cd that they get along with their shoot, this past weekend... and I've incorporated my 4 favorite things: a fun new logo design (made by Ahoy Graphics), some baker's twine, some Japanese washi paper tape, and KRAFT paper (recycle-able). Here's a little look.

Lemon Chalet Cremes

A week or so ago I received the sweetest package from my dear sister, Christina. She sent a TON of sweet little aprons to give away on our trip to the Ukraine, but along in the package were the best things the Girl Scouts of America have ever created.. Lemon Chalet Cremes. These are my vise... yes, I devoured one box in one sitting... but that second box that was in the package, had to be rationed out over this past week. However, an unfortunate thing happened this evening, the last two cookies were eaten, but not until I had my very own photoshoot with them. Why oh why sweet Girl Scouts do you only sell these during one time of the year, and not throughout the entire year? I am certainly going to go through withdrawls... oh yes, I am.

Lanterns for Celebrating...

I have a dear friend here in Korea, Anna... and she and her husband are expecting a little one ANYDAY now... seriously, she wants the little one "out" right now (please pray for her!) In a few days, it is also Buddha's birthday, and Koreans hang little lanterns all throughout the towns/cities in celebration. But, I look at these lanterns, and I think they're for Baby Walton... because he/she is coming ANY days, and I think the Koreans are celebrating this instead! Please come soon baby Walton... I cannot wait to meet you.

Coffee House

The other day, a friend brought me to this adorable coffee shop here in Korea (just a few footsteps away from my favorite coffee shop...) and I just had to share with you how absolutely adorable this one is. I loved the painted "town" on the outside windows of the shop, and yes, the coffee was FABULOUS. I pretty much order a vanilla latte every single time that I go out for coffee... first, because it's my absolute favorite flavor in my coffee, and secondly, because I'll know it's a good coffee shop, if they make my vanilla latte JUST the way I like it. This shop, "Coffee House" made it JUST the way I like it... so it's definitely up there, with my other favorite shop, "From In"... "From In" still wins, because they have my favorite cheesecake cups... but this little shop, is definitely a close second.

Forever mine...

My eyes had a break from photo editing today... and boy were they thankful to me. I headed to Seoul for some fun/shopping with some sweet friends, and had a fabulous time. For the longest time, I had NO idea that H&M and Forever 21 were just an hour and a bit away from me... now, I know... now, I will be back and back again and again. We've been having some glorious days, in the way of weather, lately (I know I'm probably jinxing it), and the sun did not disappoint me today... walking around the shoppingdistrict of Myeong-dong was everything and more that I could ever have dreamed of... and then some! Oh Forever 21... you are forever mine...

Random moments in our trip: finding a half squirrel- half cat man, the astroturf around the bathroom sink (you all know you want to decorate your home bathroom in such a way), and we had our very own paparazzi follow us around and ask us to answer questions in the video camera for korean tv.

Also, I would like to state for the record... that I walked by a HUGE table FILLED with beautiful scarves and didn't even buy one!