open daily ... ... [ throwing J O Y ] giveaway

 

the sign in my kitchen reads "open daily" it reminds me to.... ... open my heart and serve my husband, children, family, friends & neighbors as if serving Jesus himself.  open my hands and allow God to take from them and fill them according to His will. i've experienced His faithfulness in this so many times and yet am always surprised. open His word. read my bible daily. for me, it doesnt matter where the clock hands are pointing, or how many pages get flipped, but to open my bible and connect directly and be encouraged by my Creator.  

my sweet and faithful friend jessica of joyframeworks is the artist behind the sign.  my home is adorned with a few of her pieces and i often find myself asking, how much antique ceiling tin is 'too much'? to say that her friendship has been a joy in my life is a major understatement.  one of the things i love most about her is the confidence she stands on in christ.  not above others, nor above receiving instruction, but deeply rooted in her faith & her family.  another thing i love is our shared fondness of all things vintage.  an afternoon cruising through antique stores & thrift shops in downtown phoenix with this woman is as much fun as disneyland to a 6 year old.  her kids are pretty amazing too.  and her husband has a double major in goofiness and musical awesomeness.  check out his new band some dark hollow  (he is the one with the longest & kewlest beard.)


ok, where were we?  so, when i saw her 'bon appetit' sign in her etsy shop i knew i wanted it, and i knew just where to put it...but it wasn't quite right... so after a few custom changes we had it.  open daily. 

the best seat in the house - in my opinion.  where i sit for my quiet time, 'most' days.

 

 

the view from the best seat in the house.  see i can't help but be reminded and humbled when it is in bold all caps print right in front of me. 
note:  it also serves as a life line when i fall (so so easily, in my kitchen) into the martha trap.

notice the clock is not in view from the best seat in the house. this is on purpose. there is joy found in this.

 

i'll be the first to admit that i don't achieve this open heart, open  hands, open His word, every day.  and i realize it looks different for each of us.  my prayer is that you will be encouraged and inspired to open your heart, hands and His word.  wake up each morning, sit up in bed and literally open your hands.  be filled with amazement at all that he has and will give you this day and all that he will faithfully remove and take away.  commit to serving & loving those around you, with no strings attatched.  find the best seat in your house.  create a view from that seat that will point you to Him.  gather only the necessities and remove distractions. then go for it...open daily.

 

the who.what.where.when.how & joy behind it all

me:  who did/do you admire and why?

jessica:  "hmmm.  as i consider this question, i'm amazed at how blessed i am to have so many admirable people in my life.  though i admire many accomplishments & traits of those around me, the people I admire the most are those with a steadfast desire to walk with the Lord.  my mother-in-law always stands out as one of these people."

me:  what is/was your favorite childhood toy?
jessica:  "the sesame street peoples set.  i still love sesame street!"

me:  where do you find inspiration?

jessica:  "i find most of my inspiration through music, history and art.  they all create emotion for me in their own unique way."

me:  when did you last do something 'daring' - what was it?
jessica:  "i like to be daring on occasion, though it actually makes me nervous.   the last daring thing i did was boogie boarding in the pacific ocean during our last vacation.  i tried to go kayaking with reef sharks, but the tour was sold out."

me:  how do you drink your coffee?
jessica:  "my husband says i ruin it, but i add a little almond milk and the tiniest bit of brown sugar."

me: how did joyframeworks begin?

jessica: "i started making decorations for my kid's rooms. i wanted to create a nice home for my family. somewhere along the line, i stumbled across ceiling tin and found that i could combine my appreciation for history and my love for art and i haven't turned back since."

 

me:  who taught you to paint or sparked your passion for art?

jessica:  "i've never been "taught", it has always been a form of expression for me.  my passion for art definitely began as a child. i have fond memories of my sister organizing craft projects for me and my other siblings.  i was always encouraged to be creative and if it created a mess, that was okay.

i will say, creativity runs in my family.  m mom is a writer / artist, my brother's a musician and my other siblings have dabbled in art, photography and painting.  my dad was a history teacher and the countless tours of civil war battlefields must have made an impact on me as well!"

me:  please share with me about finding joy in this where you didn't expect it.

jessica:  "i rarely stand still, so taking a moment to really be still and ponder on these questions was a blessing for me.  it's neat to look over how you've grown, whose been an influence in your life and what your next chapter may be like.  thanks to a dear friend who made this happen!

 

giveaway details.

included in the giveaway is:

- one handmade by joyframeworks, open daily, antique ceiling tin sign. 

(the winner will be notified with choices of background paint, and hanging ribbon)

-i will cover shipping for those of you that are not local.

to enter.

leave a comment sharing a chore or complaint that you flipped & found JOY in today = 1 entry

follow my blog /comment letting me know you are = 1 entry

got to joyframeworks and 'like' her facebook page, comment letting me know you did = 1 entry

check out her etsy shop and then leave a comment with your favorite item = 1 entry

 

 

 

***please make sure i know how to contact you if you win. leave an email

address or msg me at pixbyemily@cox.net .  and check back for the winner reveal.***

giveway is open until thursday 10/11/12 @ 1pm (az time)

i'll pick a winner randomly and announce it before 4pm that day.

the winner is.... LAURA R.!!!  i'll msg you with color choices.  congrats my friend.

 

gratitude journal ... ... [throwing J O Y giveaway]

it is simple really... there is always something to be thankful for.  the key is to slow down enough to see the somethings & to give thanks for them.

 

i began this throwing joy semi regular giveway for the same reason i spend spare time crafting menu boards and recipe binders.  my hope is to bring joy to the routine & ordinary.  but there really is no "bringing" at all.  it is all about noticing.  because, it is already surrounding you.

i want to be clear.  i am not suggesting that joy is found in a home decorated with thoughtfully handmade burlap banners, or a kitchen that is uber organized and smoothly run by recipe binders and menu boards.  when i post future giveaways for knit accessories, inspiring music, organic body lotions etc. i am not suggesting that you find joy in those things. 

rather, i am suggesting that joy, true joy, comes from our creator & father in heaven.  he

 created us to want  joy.  and in him we find it.  "you will make known to me the path of life;

  in your presence is fullness of joy; in your right hand there are pleasures

 forever. " psalm 16:11

over 13 years ago, my life was changed by a drab little book filled with empty lined pages.  a challenge to record three things daily…three things that i was thankful for.  most of you who know me, know that i am competitive so it is not surprising that i would dive into this.  most of you who know me, also know that I often struggle with follow-through.  so it isn’t surprising that i have had a less than perfect record of writing down three things a day, over the years.  having said that, when I am ‘actively’ recording my gratitude to him, my perspective is changed in a huge way.  it is funny, i have noticed that when i pause and take notice of his blessings in my daily life, it is as if i gain a superpower of awareness.  i begin to see him pouring out on me and all around me in both big and small ways.  he grows bigger each day and i grow smaller.

 

humbled that he loves me…loves me enough to meet me in my routine and ordinary.
 

 

just this past year my sister-in-love (we are sisters by law, but our love overrides! ) shared a book with me.  a thousand gifts, by ann voskamp.  ann’s message of gratitude.grace.joy, and the new light she sheds on familiar scriptures had me in awe at times. 

“i name gifts and go back to the garden of god in the beginning who first speaks a name and lets what is come into existence.  this naming is how the first emptiness of space fills:  the naming of light and land and sky.  the first man’s first task is to name.  adam completes creation with his maker through the act of naming creatures, releasing the land from chaos.  when i name moments i am adam and i discover my meaning and god’s, and to name is to learn the language of paradise.  this naming work never ends for all the children of adam.  naming to find an identity, our identity, god’s.  the naming really does call now a gift, a gift of god.  to name a thing is to manifest the meaning and value god gave it. 

in naming that which is right before me, that

which  i’d otherwise miss, the invisible becomes

 visible.”  -ann voskamp

 

giveaway details.

included in the giveaway is:

 

one red moleskine journal, filled with empty lined pages waiting for your joy to be recorded.

&

one copy of ann voskamp's book, "a thousand gifts"

 

note:  this is a bundle. one winner will receive both

to enter.

leave a comment telling me:

 

 1. something you are thankful for...a joy found = 1 entry

2.  let me know if you've kept a gratitude journal before +1 entry

 

giveway is open until monday 09/24/12 @ 1pm (az time)

i'll pick a winner randomly and announce it before 4pm that day.

and the winner is.........
stefanie delongchamp!
congrats stefanie, please email me at pixbyemily@cox.net so that i can get your book and journal in the mail.

bliss banners ... ... [throwing J O Y ] giveaway

where are my fellow joy hunters?  bueller? bueller?  are ya'all out there? have you been steppin' in it, sprinkled with it, drenched by it?  i'm learning that it truly is all around me.  the gift is in recognizing how HE is weaving it throughout my day and then giving thanks for it.  up for grabs is a handmade burlap banner of joy.  it will help those of us who are joy hunters in training.

when i gave in to the crazy ideas in my head, or, nudges from God (tomato - tomAHto)  regarding this [throwing J O Y] semi-regular giveaway, i knew that one thing i wanted to do was to share bits of joy that have landed in my world.  books, music, art/home décor, organizational tools, healthy indulgences, wardrobe accessories and beyond.  If it has brought joy to my routine & ordinary than it will most certainly be thrown out to ya’all at some point.  there is so much more than some thing bringing me joy.  ultimately HE is at work orchestrating around me and using others to encourage me.  there is a woman, an artist, an inspiration. she is opening her heart and allowing Him to use her. i want you to know meet these 'tools of his trade'.

so without further a due allow me to introduce you to my friend nicole of bliss banners.  seems quite fitting that she be the first of a handful of uh-mazingly talented friends i will attempt to feature…because if my memory serves me correctly (and i am the first to admit, right after my husband - ehem, that it doesn’t always.)  i think i was her first customer? 

the who.what.where.when.how & joy behind it all

me: who taught you to sew?

nicole: "my mom taught me to sew. she still has one of the first things i made, a green scrap of fabric with a red heart sewn on it. i now have one from my 6 year old daughter."

me:  what is/was your favorite childhood toy?

nicole: "barbies!!! me and my friend kelly would spend forever setting them up but i don't think we ever actually played with them...it was all about the staging!!"

me:  where do you find inspiration?

nicole:  "fabric.  i am obsessed with prints and colors and my living room proves it.  i buy it with no idea what i am going to use it for...but i always do!!!  digging around some of the fabric stores by my house is always fun for me.  i have super talented friends with very different styles.  when i am shopping or making a banner i literally ask myself if it would fit in either: a.  my mom's house  b. mary's house  c. emily's house or d. my house - because i want to keep a lot of them for myself.  but this way i know i am covered."

me:  when did you last do something daring? what was it?

nicole:  "i don't do daring things.  i used to dye my hair a lot of different colors and buy a new shade of colored eyeshadow pretty much weekly...now 'sometimes' i drink caffeine after 3pm!!!"

me:  how do you drink your coffee?

nicole:  "with half and half and a little sugar or vanilla syrup in the morning and iced mocha the rest of the day!!!! if i have a lot to do, i switch to iced geen tea."

me:  will you please share about a time when you found joy in this where or when you didn't expect it.

nicole:  "if joy is a fruit of the spirit then when i am walking with HIM, i have it.  i can't find it when i am focused on me.  there are many times that i have literally prayed about a banner.  when it is for someone's first baby's nursery or their wedding, i tend to feel pressure to please them.  i have to remember to seek God in all i do.  it's not like rubbing a magic lamp and getting the perfect answer but it is refocusing on The Lord.  so when i have that joy in my heart i can cheerfully serve and accommodate others.  when it is about me, my attitude can get ugly and bitter about the task. i can have great joy in serving someone, even if it is through a banner order, knowing that my heart was set on Jesus when i did it.

nicole:  "to all the fans of pixbyemily... email me at blissbanners@gmail.com or find me at www.blissbanners.etsy.com and use the code joy4u to receive 20% off any order through saturday august 18th."

me:  see, i told ya she is an uh-mazing woman!

giveaway details.

included in the giveaway is:

- one handmade bliss banner burlap & yellow "joy" banner. (pictured above)

-i will cover shipping for those of you that are not local.

to enter.

leave a comment sharing some JOY you found today = 1 entry 

leave a comment with a word you would want a banner to say = 1 entry
follow my blog /comment letting me know you are = 1 entry

giveway is open until saturday 8/18/12 @ 1pm (az time)

i'll pick a winner randomly and announce it before 4pm that day.

the winner is Kaydee! looks like you & your daughter gained some joy this week!

note:  please check back to see if you won or be sure that your email is part of your public profile so that i can contact you.

16x20 canvas ... ... [throwing J O Y giveaway]

[closed]

it has haunted me (in a good way) from the first time i heard it at the beginning of one of my favorite childhood tales, charlotte's web.  maybe it is the angelic voice of sarah mclachlan, or maybe it is just the simple yet mighty truth behind the words.  give it a listen  ordinary miracle .  a few weeks ago, i found myself in a conversation with a sweet woman who was a tad anxious about giving birth for the first time.  i attempted to comfort her by reminding her that she is designed for this.  i have experienced childbirth twice myself and one thing that i found myself clinging too in those days of anticipation was knowing that He designed my body and the baby's body for those moments of labor.  are you familiar with the reflex on the bottom of a baby's foot?  run your finger from their heel to toe and they press hard to extend their foot.  well when the woman's uterus contracts, it triggers that reflex, allowing baby to push him/herself further down.  that just fascinates me!  she can not control the contractions nor can baby control a reflex...they are designed to work together.  an ordinary miracle.  ...moving on... last week i began this semi-regular throwing J O Y giveway in a response to something God has put on my heart for sometime.  i honestly had no idea how blessed i would be, as i set out to encourage others to notice the joy in their routine & ordinary.  while brainstorming for the next giveaway, i received an email for an amazing deal on a 16x20 canvas.  so it was settled.  but what to put on that canvas?  no sooner than i asked myself that, did a design pop up in my head.   the next day my boys and i were coloring.  colby was working on a star wars masterpiece.  parker was creating a mr. incredible original.  and i began to sketch.  the radio is often on in our home and this particular afternoon we were listening to k-love.  it wasn't the first time they've shared a scripture on the airwaves, so as the dj began introducing it i continued to doodle.  then the pencil stopped drawing...  "He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted."  Job 5:9 

note: i realize the 'ordinary miracles' print may not speak to you so i am offering up a couple other favorites. i posted 'make it a good one' on facebook a few weeks back (shared from the Time-Warp Wife) and it received a lot of attention. and 'love is' happens to be one of our family's favorite passages. it serves as a great reminder. it is not rare to hear me question my boys (who am i kidding, and myself) "do you love your brother?" most of the time they respond with "yes" to which i can ask, "what should that look like?" so i searched...yes, pinterest... and put my own twist on one that i liked. 

so... ... all this to say that in your hunting for joy, you just may notice a miracle or two. 

( ordinary miracles )

( make it a good one )

( love is )

giveaway details.

included in the giveaway is:

your choice of one of the 3 prints shown above*, printed on a 16x20 canvas.

*if selecting 'make it a good one' or 'love is' then you get to choose the color.

to enter.

leave a comment with your favorite print design = 1 entry

leave a comment sharing a line from the print that speaks to you and why = 1 entry
leave a comment sharing some J O Y that you stepped in today = 1 entry

giveway is open until wednesday 08/01/12 @ 1pm (az time)

i'll pick a winner randomly and announce it before 4pm that day.

the winner is tricia

congrats!  i hope this will bring encouragement to you and your messy hair!

child training bible... ...[throwing J O Y giveaway]

[closed]
this is the first of many giveaways.  most of you know that i am a joy hunter.  i pray for my eyes to be opened to see His blessings all around me and i rejoice when i find them, in abundance, in my routine & ordinary.  so i've decided to start throwing joy at others.  or at least giving some fun stuff away in hopes that they might see it in their own lives.  so without further delay i would like to introduce an amazing tool.  the child training bible.  i was going to take the liberty to rename ours, the family training bible, b/c i am certain us parents will use it just as much, if not more.  however, i humbly remembered that we are all children of God, so it isn't necessary to rename it.  wink. wink.

what is it?  "The Child Training Bible is tool that allows parents and children (and anyone that loves the Word of God) to go directly to the pages of Scripture for instruction in 20 key areas with a complete section dedicated to the gospel."  explore their site more to get a full idea of this tool's awesomeness.  www.childtrainingbible.com  

 [a big thank you to my sister for introducing us to this...bec you throw joy at me all the time!]

giveaway details. 

included in the giveaway is:
- the Child Training Bible Kit (available here for direct purchase) which consists of 1 Child Training Bible Key, 3 double sided scripture tabbing charts and a set of instructions.
- the additional supplies needed to make the Child Training Bible, colored post it flags, and colored sharpie highlighters.
-note:  bible is NOT included because each family's preference may vary.  you will need to have a 9x6 hard bound bible to complete yours.
-i will cover shipping for those of you that are not local.

to enter.

leave a comment with your favorite verse = 1 entry

leave a comment sharing some JOY you found today = 1 entry
follow my blog /comment letting me know you are = 1 entry

giveway is open until wednesday 7/25/12 @ 1pm (az time)

i'll pick a winner randomly and announce it before 4pm that day.

the winner is michelle e.
congrats!  i am so excited for your family to find J O Y in this amazing learning tool.