October 6, 2015 By 3 Comments

And Just Like That…

It’s not even my regular blogging time because honestly I just could not wait.  You should see the utter chaos…full on wrestle mania which I am referring while I type.

I had a completely different blog for today and then my phone started blowing up.  I had been detained by the world’s worst dirty diaper I have ever seen in my entire 8 years of mothering.  It was horror story worthy.  There were curse words.  I tore through half a pack of wipes easily and ended up putting her in the bathtub because things were too out of hand.  Her clothes were not salvageable.  The other kids gasped.  It was bad.  But I digress…my phone was dinging away and little did I know, but our Swazi team was going crazy because Marcie discovered the Ngungnwane Playground Fund at over 100% this morning.  Everyone was losing their minds.  I might have text cursed.  This was insane.  Texting continued.  I told my kids…they cheered.  I cried.  Harper and I hugged.  Amon gave me a high-5.  I’m still sitting here just in awe.

Brooke pointed out we were in Swaziland just 3 months ago.  3 months.  $16,288.  We got a front row seat to watch God do what only He can do.  I said it over and over again…we’re going to let God do what only He can do.  This felt big.  This felt daunting.  This felt like too much.  This felt impossible, but yet, God!

I remind myself all the time that God does not need me.  I can get in the mind set that I am a vital piece of His kingdom and really I’m just a flawed sinner and He’s the Creator of the universe…He’s going to do what He wants with or without me, but He invites us into His work.  He asks us to join Him.  He gives us the honor of being a vessel…playing a role.  And what a crazy blessing it is when we say yes.

I watched members of our team simply give God back what He had given them…their talents and resources.  Some we’re word spreaders…they made handouts and postcards and emailed their friends and family often.  They talked to their churches and people they knew.  They took to social media and would not stop talking about this community and these precious kiddos.  Some gave financially.  Some bought tshirts for themselves, their husband, children, brother, mother, sister, cousin, their cousin’s friend and next door neighbor.  Some made those 1000 t-shirts that were purchased.  They prayed…they prayed their hearts out.  They love this community, they listened to the go-gos words, they heard the calling and said “Yes God.  We are in.”  I’m so humbled to know these people.

And a lot of you guys gave and bought tshirts and took classes and gave above and beyond and helped us spread the word and prayed with us.  Thank you!  Thank you forever and ever amen.  You are kind and love big!!!

I still keep sitting here just floored.  I’ve text a 1000 times over “I am just dying.”  It’s amazing and incredible and phenomenal.  God is good and mighty.  I’ve boo-hooed like a giant crybaby.  Sometimes when God does the amazing things He chooses to do, I find myself feeling unworthy of His gifts…His blessings…like why would He choose to do this when He knows I’m going to be crazy excited…like I make or break the deal…and then I quickly remember He gives good gifts to His children.  He is a God of wonders.  He wants the praise and glory and He wants His name to be made known.   He does things for us to marvel at Him.  And marvel I will.  To God be every bit of the glory!

Happiest of Tuesdays!

PS:  The Noonday party is still on.  I think we’re going to go after a garden next 🙂

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October 1, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Shameless Re-Post {Not The Garth Brooks Kind}

Today I totally and completely hit the copy and past button and then made peace with myself.  Ha.  I am shamelessly reposting yesterday’s entire post because it’s just this important to me.  I know some will be all “yada, yada, yada” and sometimes I too “yada, yada, yada”, but I figured it’s my blog and I can repost if I want to (insert music notes).  So here’s a reminder of yesterday’s amazingness and another push for Ngungwane’s playground.  I’ll be back tomorrow with my regular scheduled randomness programming.  Thanks for being kind to this bloggy lady and for putting up with all my playground shenanigans…because I do madly love these people and this community!

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So I am so excited to report we are officially at 61% of our goal for the Ngungwane playground fund.  You guys, this is crazy town.  We are almost at 10K!!!!!!!  I am so blown away.  I had decided to stop checking the fund every single day and when I checked in yesterday morning we were at 42%.  Marcie text me and said her sister was dropping $3090 in t-shirt sales in the account that day too and BOOM, now we find the fund sitting pretty at 61%.  God is so so crazy good.  Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has helped in anyway.  I am just over the moon.  I told Marcie I was about to start crying in Target and being the supportive and loving and nurturing friend she is she said if I did to please videotape it :)  I’m just constantly floored at how God works and moves.

So here’s the deal, we’re going to press on.  We’re going to continue to work and do our part.  I told Josh Kelley yesterday I don’t want one thing for my birthday, nor do I need anything either, but he can make a donation to the playground fund!!!  And there are so many ways you can help too.

1)  Share the Ngungwane Playground Fund with family and friends and strangers.  Take to social media, email, text or word of mouth and simply share the page.  Telling people…getting others in on the action…is such a HUGE help!!!

2)  Make a tax deductible donation HERE and directly impact our goal.  There is no amount too small.  My kids recently dug into their piggy banks and brought me a grand total of $4 and I added it into some other money going in.  No donation is too small.  Every single bit helps.

3)  Book a Bible journaling class.  I’m taking to the streets and coming to you to teach my Bible journaling class.  Think parties, Bible studies, small groups, women’s events, church classes, girl’s night, etc.  All the money from these classes goes directly to the fund.  Message me HERE if you are interested.  And I’ll be hosting the next class in our home in November…date to be announced.

4)  Buy a t-shirt.  Sasquatch Design Society, Meagan, Marcie and Nick, have been hard at work and it has seriously paid off.  All those t-shirt sales has brought in over $3K in profit which is absolutely amazing.  Thank you to everyone who has already purchased…we are so grateful.  Christmas is coming and this is definitely purchasing with a purpose.  And tell a friend ;)  You can read more about the tees HERE or head straight HERE and make your purchase today.

5)  We’re hosting a big Noonday Collection show Thursday, October 29th at our house!!!!  You guys know I love a good party.  I am a huge Noonday fan and we’re using all the free goodies we get from this party to throw a huge “Thank You” giveaway again.  We did this last time when raising funds for tables and chairs for Ngungwane and it was a big success.  The more purchases made at the party, the more free stuff we get to help raise funds with!  You can read about what we did last time HERE and HERE.  So add it to your calendar…think Christmas shopping party people…and invite a friend…the more the merrier is always my party moto.

6)  My goal is to have my Bible Journaling class ready for purchase via the inter webs by the end of November…hopefully before.  I’m praying this will be a huge way to help raise funds for the playground.  All you out-of-towners get ready because my class will be available for you soon.  Keep your eyes open and I will share all the details when we’re legit and ready to roll!

And 7) Pray with us.  Pray for these kiddos and this community.  Pray God would receive every bit of the glory He so deserves.  What an honor it is to join hands with these amazing people and community in this adventure.  We are so grateful.

Thank you guys so much for all your help so far.  You are kind and crazy awesome.

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See you tomorrow.

Happy Thursday.

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January 28, 2015 By Leave a Comment

The Sweetest Feet

I can’t even tell you how excited I get each time I open up another email inquiry or response about this Swaziland trip.  Even if it’s someone responding with an “it’s not going to work out this time” I still get all excited that people are even interested.  With every email I send out there’s another possibility and all we need is a team of 8, but I’ll take 1000 of you if you want to go 🙂

So another re-post for today.  I want to give you a perspective on this trip.  It won’t be the exact same, but I want to try and let you feel what I felt.  See what I saw.  Experience what I experienced.  Feel the immense love I felt…and still do feel.  We always go on these trips thinking we’re going to do good…we’re going to bless people and tell them about Jesus, but I always come back feeling humbled and crazy blessed myself…like the good has been done to me…like they taught me about Jesus because they did.  God teaches me every time it’s not about what I’m going to do.  Instead it’s about Him.  It’s about Him inviting me to be apart of His word and love…loving my neighbor…my brothers and sisters in Christ…big and crazy and wild and fierce and letting them love on me in return and dang it all, it just blesses my socks right off.

RE-POST

The Sweetest Feet

Today will be one for my life book.  One of those moments where Jesus came right down and sat beside me and said, “Listen up Laura.  Soak up every moment because this day is for your heart.  These moments are to remind you of Me…Me and the deep love I have for you and all My children.”

The kids here amaze me.  Just absolutely floor me.  They are gorgeous, smart children with infectious loud laughs and eyes that are ocean deep.

We spent the first part of the day just hanging with the kids…just playing and sitting and smiling and laughing. Then we filled bags with things like peanut butter and crackers, beef jerky, trail mix, Skittles, dum dum suckers, matchbox cars, bubbles wands, pencils and plastic gold medal necklaces.  I felt giddy and wild with excitement as I sat on the concrete floor apart of this assembly line of people who were filling these bags.  I was in charge of the gold medals and the matchbox cars.  I so wanted pictures, but there I sat filling bag after bag after bag.

We also colored wooden Christmas ornaments.  When planning for a trip like this you think you have all these “good” ideas, but then when you’re here…you’re actually with the kids…you realize your good ideas weren’t that grand after all.  The plan was for the kids to color these wooden Christmas ornaments and then return them to their sponsor church back in Tennessee, well that just wasn’t happening after we watched them pour into these ornaments.  Most of them were extremely precise with their coloring and after watching them, well, we just couldn’t take them away.  They were theirs.

We were able to do another home visit with one of the grandmothers, or go-gos, who cooks at the care point each day for the kids.  Her homestead was beautiful.  It was meticulous and she took great pride in it…as she absolutely should.  Gathered around her were all her grandchildren.  All I could think as I watched her engage with them and listened to part of her story was, “Her children arise and call her blessed.”  It was an honor to be able to visit with her at her home.  An honor.

And for the majority of the day we fitted and sized and gave away around 150 pairs of new shoes.  I wanted to cry and sob.  I wanted to wash every foot I held in my hands today.  I found myself thinking so hard about where all these feet had been…the miles they had traveled…the wear they had endured…the lives they’ve lived thus far.  How far beyond their years they should really be.  God sat there reminding me of how precious and amazing and special and uniquely designed and created each one of these children are.  How blessed and honored I was to be holding their feet in my hands.  How humbled I should be to even remotely be apart of giving them a new pair of shoes.  It was a moment I will never forget.  Engraved deep in my heart are these children’s feet.

An overwhelming day and my heart might explode.  Feeling just so crazy blessed to be here…to meet these children and people…the spend time with them…and begin the anticipation for what all God has in store.  It’s sure to be grand and I cannot wait…absolutely cannot wait to see what He’s going to do.

Happy Tuesday!

END RE-POST

If you’re interested in more information on this possible July trip to Swaziland, Africa feel free to send me an email at pitterpatterart at gmail dot com and I’ll get you some more information.

Have an awesome Wednesday.

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September 12, 2014 By 2 Comments

Tables & Small Bright Red Chairs

In March of this year I asked you guys to help me raise $610 so we could help purchase some tables and chairs for the sweet kiddos at the Ngungwane carepoint in Swaziland, Africa.  What we did together was purchase a crap ton of awesome Noonday Collection and then we hosted the biggest “thank you” giveaway and you guys made donation after donation after donation.  You can read about it HERE and HERE.

You guys went crazy and ended up donating almost $2900.  I can’t tell you how much this still thrills my heart.  The world is full of kind and generous people.  Again thank you!

This week I received an update on the Ngungwane carepoint and wanted to share some of the pictures Children’s HopeChest passed along to me.  Not only did they get to purchase the tables and chairs, but with your kind donations, we also paid for an entire years worth of school fees for the kids, some learning supplies and they added a big painted chalkboard.

 I wanted you to see we can change the world.  We can make a difference.  We can come along side our brothers and sisters in Christ and help stand in the gap.  We can come together and impact lives even with the purchase of something simple like tables and small bright red chairs.

Thank you again.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Thank you for joining us and giving and being generous and kind!  Opening up that large envelope this week and reading the words and seeing these pictures was easily one of the highlights of my week.

Here’s a great weekend.

Happy Friday friends!

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April 1, 2014 By 1 Comment

Last Chance…You Rock!!!

Hey everyone…double post day here…because I totally forgot tomorrow is the final day we can place Noonday orders for our show to help get free goods to help raise the funds for 5 tables and 30 chairs for the kiddos at the Ngungwane care point in Swaziland, Africa. #runonsentence  It’s purposeful shopping at it finest.  A win, win.

Here’s how you can order:

1.  Go to www.rebeccadaniels.noondaycollectioin.com

2.  Fill your cart with lots and lots of goodies.

3.  When you check out choose Rebecca Daniels as your ambassador and put Laura Kelley as your trunk show name.

4.  Finish checking out.

5.  Celebrate with cartwheels and high-5s and fist bumps that you bought awesome items and helped support women and families around the world.

Thank you for being awesome and kind and generous!

Happy Tuesday evening.

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March 27, 2014 By 1 Comment

Hey, Hey, Hey

We had some wonderful items sent in again for the March craft classes.  Thank you again so much to each of the ladies who sent in such lovely items.

Lil’ Hoots Boutique is an etsy shop that just opened in January and sells a variety of things including wreaths, digital prints, jewelry, chalkboards, and photo props! The shop owners Carrie and Shelby are both moms and middle school Language Arts teachers who love creating and crafting! When they aren’t playing with our sweet little boys or grading papers, they are creating fun home decor and other unique items. They love chevron, chalkboards, burlap, bunting, owls, and color!!! They also love making custom orders!  You can check out their Etsy shop here and their Facebook page here.

Dobee Designs is run by Sara in Australia.  She makes a wide variety of adorable items and sent in bookmarks and earrings for the March classes.  What, what!!!  Sara gives a portion of each purchase to My Refuge House.  My Refuge House is a home, located in Cebu, Philippines, that provides holistic care intended to enable the trafficking survivors educationally, spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally to stand on their own again.  You can also find Dobee Designs on Facebook here.  As always Sara, you are too kind.

Becca of Ruby Lou Writes sent in fantastic prints for everyone.  Becca not long ago started doing hand lettering and fell in love and enjoys gathering inspiration from all over.  I was so excited when she sent in a package full of prints.  They were fun and beautiful.  You can check her Etsy shop out here.

As always, there were also key fobs, Timbali Crafts and Noonday Collection as well.  Everyone needs a key fob and you know Timbali and Noonday have my heart.

And speaking of Noonday…tonight we’re having a Noonday party at our house from 6-8.  You guys I can’t tell you how big I want this party to be.  I want our house filled with woman…I want internet orders from all over the world.  If you are local please come, bring a friend and shop.  Noonday’s new line is crazy good and here’s the deal:  I really, really, really want to turn our Noonday goodies into 5 tables and 30 chairs for our Ngungwane carepoint in Swaziland, Africa.  You can read my post on it HERE.  When you host a Noonday party the more items people buy, the more credit you get to purchase items for yourself.  What we’re going to do is take those items we get on credit and turn around and share those with you guys while raising funds for tables and chairs for Ngungwane.  So the more you purchase the more items we will get to turn into money for these tables and chairs…$610 to be exact.  And if we raise more, then Ngungwane will just get extra.

If you can’t make the party, you can also purchase online at www.rebeccadaniels.noondaycollection.com  When you check out just select “Rebecca Daniels” as your ambassador, and type in Laura Kelley and/or Brea Freeman for the Trunk Show name.  This way our show will get credit.  We can shop with purpose and not only help support woman and families around the world, but also buy some tables and chairs while were at it.

Not kidding…I’m over the moon excited about tonight.  Awesome goods and food and people and drinks and no children…what, what (insert raise the roof hands).  Bring yourself and a friend.  It’s sure to be fun.  Shoot me a message if you need more details.

Have an awesome day.

Happy Thursday!

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March 24, 2014 By 3 Comments

Six Hundred Ten

Last November I went to Swaziland, Africa to meet all the incredible people and kids at our care point Ngungwane through Children’s HopeChest.  Ngungwane is something Josh and I introduced to our previous church and we have sponsor kids at the care point and are still very much connected to this country and all their amazing people.  I really want to go back this year and am working on getting a team together to make this happen.  Excited to see what God has in store.

You can read my posts from Swaziland HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

While I was there I had lots of opportunities to talk with Amy and Steve who work directly with Ngungwane about some specific needs at the care point.  There were several big projects and then they also mentioned needing tables and chairs for the on site building.  This building is used for all types of things, but they now have a preschool teacher coming to the care point 4 days a week for all the littles and they have no tables or chairs.

While in Swaziland, one of the things I felt God really impressing on my heart was just what all He could do through open vessels…flawed people…sinners…who simply say “yes” or “okay God”.  We want to be those flawed, but willing vessels.

We’re having a Noonday party this Thursday, March 27th at our house from 6-8.  Here’s the deal…I talked with CHC this week and Ngungwane’s wish list for the tables and chairs would be 5 tables and 30 chairs.  Each table is $50 and each chair is $12.   That puts us right at $610.  These are good, metal tables and chairs which will last them for a long time.  When you host a Noonday party the more items people buy, the more credit you get to purchase items for yourself.  What we’re going to do is take those items we get on credit and turn around and share those with you guys while raising funds for table and chairs for Ngungwane.  So the more you purchase the more items we will get to turn into money for these tables and chairs.  It’s a win/win.

I would absolutely love to fill our house with women from all over.  I would love to meet you and chat and purchase with purpose together.  Noonday is an absolutely incredible company and there new spring line is off the charts.  So if you want to have a fun girls night come and hang with us and bring a friend.

We’ll have food and drinks for you as well.  So mark your calendars, call your friends, send me a message if you need more information and get ready to have some fashionable fun while helping change the world.

Happy Monday!

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November 21, 2013 By 552 Comments

Giveaway Day {because today is a good day}

**GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED**

Ahhhhhh!  You guys are crazy awesome and kind and thoughtful and THANK YOU!  Thank you for such incredibly kind words yesterday.  I cannot truly express how much I appreciate them, but it’s a lot!

Today, today is going to be grand…I can just feel it.  So lets rock it out with an awesome giveaway.  While on my trip I met with Julie, the sweet lady who heads up Timbali Crafts.  I totally loved hearing her speak about all the amazing woman who are apart of Timbali Crafts.

Every Thursday around a 100 woman in Swaziland, Africa gather at a central carepoint and cut all their fabric for the week. They then go home and sew.  They sew for purpose.  They sew to help provide for their families and it is truly a beautiful thing.  These woman not only sew, but they also help feed kiddos at the surrounding carepoints every week.  They work hard and their work is good.  They are truly impeccable woman.

Not only do they get paychecks for the items they sew, but they also have an opportunity to set money aside each month for savings and at the end of the year, whatever they have set aside Timbali matches.  They are doing some fine work and I am always on the lookout for companies just like this.  Companies who are legit and honest and doing what they say they are doing.  They are providing jobs…they are empowering woman in Swaziland.

So let’s get to it.  It’s definitely a good day for a giveaway.  Winner takes all.

Here are the details of each item:

Revised Sling Bag.  I bought one for myself and haven’t quit carrying it yet.  Roomie and durable and well made.  Pockets on the outside and inside with a stellar Swazi made tree button.  This is a must have for sure.

Wristlet.  It’s adorable and light weight and perfection.

Padded Kindle Case.  These are not available on the website just yet, but I had to snag one while in Swaziland.  They are padded and colorful and so well made.

Timbali Headbands for Education.  These are actually made by Swazi girls working to pay for their school fees.  All proceeds go towards ensuring the girl has an opportunity for education.

Bird ornament.  Every year I buy the kids a new ornament.  My mom did this for me and for one of my wedding gifts it was all the ornaments she had collected for each of my 20 years.  20 priceless ornaments just for me.  So now I do the same for the wee Kelleys.  This year they each got a Timbali ornament and I am in love with them.  Harper got a bird, Huddy and Sol each an elephant and Amon got a giraffe.  They are over the top adorable.

Thrown in the Timabli mix are two Swaziland jewels.  We went to a candle and soap shop there and it was so stellar.  Watching them work was an honor.  It is truly a craft.  Everything was so well made and I fell in love with the soaps.  They are so clean and fresh and from all natural ingredients and smell out of this world.  So I brought a bar home for one of you guys 🙂

And these two beautiful necklaces were made by the kindest go-go at our Ngungwane carepoint.  The work she has poured in to these is unreal.  She asked me to advertise…so here I am…advertising.  I would love to help this sweet woman in some way…we shall see what God may have in store for her.  But until then I can send more of her hard work out into the world.

Alright.  There you have it.  Lots of goodies to mail to one winner.  Lots of love and hard work.  Lots of admirable women and a company who stands for justice and empowerment.

Here’s how you enter:

Please leave a separate comment on this post for each entry.

Entry #1  Go check out the Timbali Crafts website and tell me something you’d be stoked to purchase.

Entry #2  Go “Like” Timbali Crafts on Facebook.

Entry #3  Share this giveaway with your friends on your personal Facebook status or Twitter.  You can use the Facebook and Twitter button at the bottom of this post or just copy and paste the link at the top in your status or tweet bar.

Entry #4  Become a subscriber to the ole’ blog.  Check out the “Email Subscription” to your right in the sidebar…enter your email address, hit the subscribe button and boom…you’re done.

Again, please leave a separate comment on this post for each entry.

Giveaway will end this Monday, November 25th at midnight and I will announce the winner in Tuesday’s post.  Goodies will be mailed directly to the winner.

Thanks for entering and helping to spread the word about an amazing company and group of Swazi women.

Happy Thursday.

**GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED**

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