I know I know I know. I will probably get a hard time for this decision!

Life has gotten so busy now that Stephen and I are both working....9-10 hours days/each mind you. It's pretty tough. When we get home from work, we just want to chill out. I believe last night I fell asleep around 9:00. AND I have been known to doze off right after dinner. Eek! 

Anyways, my blog has been neglected and I have been feeling guilty. My solution is to use Google to it's maximum capacity. Haha! I got the Droid X about a month ago if that explains anything. Today, on my day off (woohoo!) I converted all of my blog subscriptions over to Google Reader. I wish someone would post something so I can see how it works! Anyways, I just learned that I can share posts and add a special note to it. So...this is what I am going to do for a while instead of Awe of Small. I will still be sharing craft ideas, but they just won't be mine. You see, in my old blog reader I have 227 ideas saved that I have been wanting to share. NOW with the wonderful power of Google I can share them with you. Don't worry though, I won't share them all. I started off with a post that I read this morning. It is a beautiful Spring wreath! Please check it out! :)

Just for you faithful followers, I am going to be deleting my Twitter and Facebook account for Awe of Small. It's sad, but I love downsizing. I think this new way is going to be much better. If you want to get in touch with me...

Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Torrie Anderson
Starred Posts (where I post others ideas I find): www.google.com/reader/shared/vkay88

We will see how this goes. I am still not too sure how I will share my own ideas. Maybe I will still have to use the blog, but for now I am saying bye-bye. It's been fun! Thanks for following and don't forget to go here (AND ADD IT TO YOUR LIST OF BLOGS TO FOLLOW!!!). :)

Love,
     Torrie Anderson

I don't know if you knew, but Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was in town! My husband, Stephen works for Ferguson Enterprise and they ended up providing the HVAC units for the home. One evening we got to take the company's VIP passes to check out the inside of the house while it was being built. What an awesome experience! It was incredible to see the amount of people packed into this house (probably 75ish) working so diligently to get it finished before the family arrived home. I kind of felt like I was in the way while I was there. However, I am so happy that we got the chance to see it. I talked with a man who painting the inside and outside. It was really cool to hear him speak straight from his heart. He didn't know the family, but so much wanted them to enjoy it. He believed that they deserved it! I love that - people serving other people selflessly!

Here are a couple of pictures Stephen and I snapped while we were there, as well as others that his boss got on another day...

Did any of ya'll get a chance to go and see the house? If not, I believe the episode will air sometime this Spring!

Love,
     Torrie Anderson

We are DINKS! <-- Double Income No Kids

So just a little update to you faithful bloggers (who check my blog every day even though I have not posted for two weeks - thank you!)...my job is going GREAT! I am so fortunate to be placed at the store that I am right now. My manager and assistant manager are incredibly patient with me. I also work with two part-timers - one is a girl! :) :) :) I was SO happy to see her after my first day of work. Oh by the way, I work in a male dominated industry. It was a difficult to adjust to. My manager told me to roll out two-five gallon buckets of paint that one of customers purchased on my very first day there. I seriously thought...WHAT A JERK! How could he expect me, a girl, to do something that a man can do just fine by himself! I learned quick that if I try to be a girly girl and get the men at work to do everything for me, I will get eaten alive. I offer to carry out 3+ five gallons buckets and much more now. I actually enjoy it too - it is kind of empowering. One lady told me today that I am a strong girl - I laughed because I really am not strong at all. I cry on the inside when I have to pick up a box of four gallons of paint. Ha! It's not that bad, it has just been an adjustment.

I have enjoyed getting my hands (and clothes) dirty. I like the physical part of my job. Aside from lifting and moving merchandise onto and around the floor, as well as in our warehouse, I mix paint, match paint samples and give my two sense to DIYers who need help picking out paint colors and wallpaper for their homes. It's fun!

On a deeper note, it has been a challenge too. I am in a 6 week training program. At the end I am supposed to be an assistant manager of a store. News flash! It has already been 2 weeks! I cannot even believe it. The rate at which this training program operates, I feel like my pride is being tested. There are numerous times throughout the day, even over the course of 30 minutes, that I have had to ask the same question more than one time. It is embarrassing, but I know that I will need to stand on my own two feet one day, so I have to ask. I would hate to do something wrong and/or learn how to do something the wrong way.

The other thing that has been quite challenging is  interacting with my co-workers. I want to be a witness of Christ (all the time), but even at work. However, some of the things that are said and the conversations that take place are not honoring to the Lord. Being the new girl, everyone wants to tell stories (stories that I do not really care to hear about). The challenge is how do I respond without coming across as being cold, rude, and judgmental? It is hard!

Stephen and I both work in similar industries. To be honest, I think it has brought us closer together. Sounds weird. It really has though. We get each other just because we experience similar things throughout our work day. It has been such a blessing! Unfortunately, I had to work today from 9-4 and tomorrow from 10-4. It makes me really sad because we both really look forward to spending the weekends together (AND our niece and nephew came in town this weekend!). Stephen has been really good to me. He cooks dinner when he gets home before me, makes my breakfast and/or lunch, and keeps the house picked up. It has made the transition so much easier! :)

Love,
     Torrie Anderson

...Stephen and I were dancing the night away at a Valentine's Day ball at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, VA.

The bags are packed and we are going on a road trip! We are headed to Lexington, VA tomorrow to see VMI play Radford in basketball and hang out with Stephen's roommate from college. AND it just so happens that it is the same weekend that is so special to us - Midwinter Formal weekend!

I believe some antique shopping is in the plans, on the way up. If I find anything special I will share it with ya'll when we get back! :) I hope ya'll have an enjoyable weekend!

Love,
     Torrie Anderson

P.S. Monday is Valentine's Day! :) Just a friendly reminder.

I used to despise wire coat hangers until now...

What I used:
- 1 wire coat hanger
- strips of leftover fabric scraps
- hot glue
- plastic mesh
- scissors
- corners of card stock clipped off

I made this wreath specially for Miss Hannah Grimes. She leaves THIS Tuesday for Africa!!! So excited for her. She just found out that she will have a furnished room while she is there and plans to make it a little more homey. I mean it will be her home for three months after all. I wanted to help her make it feel like her temporary home away from home. Hannah, I love you and cannot wait to see how God is going to use you in Africa. I know that this is a dream come true and I could not be any happier for you! I will miss you terribly and look forward to your homecoming! :)

Love,
     Torrie Anderson

This came in the mail today! :) I could have sworn my subscription ended! Hey! I am NOT complaining! Check out that yummy recipe on the right! Mmmmmm...

Love,
     Torrie Anderson

I am completely embarrassed for the lack of posts recently. If you know anything about me, you know I love organizing and keep things in order. Well...I organized my craft stuff and put it in the (organized) closet. I have not been crafting because I don't want to mess it all up. Ha! It won't last forever. I promise.

Have you ever wondered if God is listening? I wonder sometimes. He is! He always is! But sometimes I feel like my prayers go unanswered. I think it is my lack of patience that makes me think that. Well I am here to tell you that God answered one of your prayers and mine too!

Thank you SO much for praying for my job situation!  I got a call this afternoon from Sherwin-Williams AND I GOT THE JOB! Praise God! I laid on the couch waiting for Stephen to return my phone call so I could tell him the good news, and I cried. I mean boo-hoo-cry-your-eyes-out cried. I was full of mixed emotions. I cried because I was going to mix paint and deal with contractors day in and day out.  I cried because the dreams Stephen and I have been communicating about, now COULD become a reality. God has given us the means (finances) to pursue them when the timing is right. I cried because FINALLY a company wanted me. I cried because I am going to have to work weekends pretty regularly. I cried because even though God has revealed a tidbit of His plan for my life, I still feel very much out of the loop (I guess that is the way it is supposed to be, right? It keeps me turning to Him and not myself). I cried because there is so much opportunity that sits in front of me and I am excited. I cried because I won't experience the joy that I see come across my husbands face as he walks in the door after a long 10-hr work day to see me and hot food on the table waiting for him. I got a taste of what it will be like to be at home all day (minus children) and I absolutely love(d) it. We are confident this is where God is calling me/us and we are overjoyed!

Would you please pray for the transition Stephen and I are about to undergo? We have settled into a routine and love it. It is going to be hard having me out of the home all day too. I am praying that the transition will be smooth and we will find ways to get all of the housework done, lunches packed, dinners made and on the table AND find time to enjoy one another, stress-free and conflict-free. It is a HUGE blessing that we both have jobs. We do not want to have an attitude of unthankfulness whatsoever. Thank you! (Update: I wrote this post before going out on a celebratory date with Stephen. I learned while we were out that he is really excited about cleaning the house for me and cooking for me when I am working on weekends! Prayers answered AGAIN!)

Keep an eye out for the small things God is blessing you with. Tonight is my husbands great attitude and the way that he encouraged me. :) :) :)

Clues as to what I will be posting this week: go-go gadgets, transitions and transformations, shout outs and much much more!

Be sure to check back!

Love,
     Torrie Anderson

This past Saturday, three of my friends came over to do crafts! :)

Faith Anne (aka. FAB) did two crafts. 
   1. She made a bracelet out of string. 
   2. She decoupaged fabric, newspaper and magazine clippings, and scraps from coffee filters onto a canvas and painted it, as well. 

Oh and you probably remember FAB from this post.

Hannah decoupaged. She had two keepsake notebooks that she was not too crazy about. We talked about how silly it is that companies print barcodes on the backs of keepsake notebooks. There is NOTHING pretty about that. She used two foreign magazines to decoupage the notebook.

Becka surprised us the most! She came into my house talking about how uncreative she was and how she wanted to paint, but did not know how to. Psh! This girl wrote the word 'wisdom' on a stretch canvas with hot glue, then painted over it. It was beautiful. :) Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of it. (hey, becka! want to send me a picture?)

Oh yeah! Stephen got in on the action too...eh not really! He sat in the room next to us and played xbox. It was nice having him around! He is such a good husband! He has been so supportive of my crafting! :) Thanks babe!!

I did a couple of different crafts. The time went by way too fast! I probably could have sat there until midnight doing crafts with these girls.
   1. I made a flower brooch to cover up an ugly stain on one of my favorite sweaters. The flower brooch has a pin attached on  
   the back so that I can remove it and pin on another one to coordinate with my outfits. Pretty nifty, huh?
   2. I covered an awful-colored headband with black fabric and made two other flower brooch to attach to it. On the back of 
   this flower brooch I attached an alligator clip so that I can use the headband with many different outfits. I tend to wear a lot of black
   and brown, so this will allow me to introduce some color into my wardrobe. :)
   3. I covered a candlestick with scraps of coffee filters. You can read about that in a post I wrote earlier this week.

All in all, it was a very successful afternoon! I am already wishing we could get together again soon. Unfortunately (but really fortunately), Hannah is leaving for Africa in less than two weeks. It just would not be the same without her. Hm...maybe we could Skype and craft at the same time. Or I could just go to Africa! :) My husband said I could go if I found a free plane ticket! Ha! Anyone have frequent flyer points they want to share?! :) Haha! I am totally kidding. Please be praying for Hannah while she is preparing for this 3 month trip and while she is there. If you want to see what she is up to, you can follow her on her blog called songambele. P.S. She took all of those pictures up there too! :) To see more of her work, click here.

Happy crafting!

Love,

     Torrie Anderson

I am having some trouble uploading pictures. As soon as I get it figured out, I will post about the craft day I promised yesterday. Sorry!

Love,
     Torrie Anderson