A Shift in the Season

Weather joyous or strain...we walk through seasons of life.
I have been so blessed, privileged and honestly very spoiled to spend the last fifteen years at home with our children.  During that time I wore many hats.  Daycare was pretty much always number one.  I've not only watched our own children grow, but have had an extended family of many extra Little's, pitter patter and blossom up right along side ours.  They were like my own. Still are.  xo

In amongst the daily grid of children I would find myself crafting.  A season of making candles, wooden signs, felt penny rugs and homemade gifts until I stumbled upon handmade dolls.  In the very beginning...primitive dolls.  Painting, sanding, stitching and coffee staining.  I'd flip them over the clothesline to dry.  My heart caught fire, a self taught doll maker!  =)   Penny Rug Annies was born!

It's fun to look back and see something come alive!

Over the next few years and after the birth of our youngest son, a primitive doll made a slow change over to a child's doll.  In 2007 after some spiritual growing,  my hearts desire was to give all my gifts and talents back to God.  So after a lot of soul searching and a laundry room prayer....yep, Baby be Blessed!  I'm sure most of you have heard that story before.

What a wonderful adventure!

Opportunities that only God could have given.

Who would have thought?

Well last June, due to the health care reform, my husbands company dropped all spouses from insurance coverage.  Didn't matter if we had health care available or not, due to the high increase of cost...dropped.  This was a punch in the gut.  And let me tell you that affordable health care is not that affordable.  After a few months the opportunity came for me to go back to a big girl full time job.  With much wrestle and gnashing of teeth, I knew it was the best decision for our family.  Our children are all well into school and everything was right there in front of me...including great benefits!

With all this said, I wasn't ready (nor sure it was the Lord's will) for me to stop making dolls for Baby be Blessed.  My heart is here.  My passion is here.  Since December I've been trying to balance both.

And as a HUGE, most important side note --I must tell you that I could not do any of it without the help of my girls, Laura and Lori!!  I love you both to pieces!

So what's the next season??

To be honest, I'm not sure!  =)

This is not a post to tell you this is the end of Baby be Blessed dolls...just simply to tell you that there has been a shift in the season.  Our custom carts will close at the end of April and through the summer I pray that God would speak clearly to me.  I will still make finished dolls as life allows but I am really looking forward to just taking a step away to rest and seek the Lord.

I wish I was organized enough to bring Baby be Blessed into a big full fledged business that could grow bigger than the single small cluttered room past the dining room table...but I'm not.  And that's okay!  My gifts fall more in the designing, creating and praying over one baby doll at a time.  So right now, that is where I am going to stay and prayerfully flourish!  I can better fulfill the Lord's will if I stay within the Lord's will.  I want to honor Him.

Pray with me as I start into this new season??

Words can not express how much I appreciate each of you!  xo, Tina

and....the WINNERS!

Congratulations to the winners of our Photo Contest!

ANIMAL Category

#1 Animals

Holiday Category

#3 Holiday

Children Category

#17 Children


And the OVERALL WINNER....

#15 Children

Thanks to each of you who entered a photo!  xo, Tina

2014 Photo Contest

ANIMALCategory

#1 Animals

HOLIDAY Category

#2 Holiday

#3 Holiday

#4 Holiday

CHILDREN Category

#5 Children

#6 Children

#7 Children

#8 Children

#9 Children

#10 Children

#11 Children

#12 Children

#13 Children

#14 Children

#15 Children

#16 Children

#17 Children

#18 Children

Vote for your FAVORITE (or multiple favorite) photo's in the left sidebar!

Each category winner will receive a $10 BbB Gift Voucher.
OVERALL WINNER will receive a $65 Baby be Blessed Gift Voucher!

Winner announced Friday!  xo

2015 Custom Carts!

Whew guys!!

We made it through 2014!

EVERYTHING HAS SHIPPED!!!!
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In praying, pondering and looking forward to next year, I really need to cut back on what I am doing.  I absolutely LOVE making all of these babies.  I praise God for the opportunity...but I am very poor at prioritizing things.  My spiritual gift is creativity not organization and that's okay.  Not an excuse, but okay to see where my strengths lie.  I'm a people pleaser and I don't want to let anyone down.  I say yes yes yes to everything and then I can't accomplish it to God's glory.

This isn't just in the doll area of my life, but in every area.

Last month I read the book The Best Yes, by Lysa Terkeurst.  Oh. My. Goodness.  It has rocked my world! {Need a gift?  Buy it!}   I love how God works!  He knew how much I needed to read it and receive some guidance  --some Biblical direction in this area of my life!

SO...

Long story short {don't you feel lucky?!}  I need to cut back on the quantity of dolls I am making.  I can no longer maintain 30-40 dolls at a time.  Well not that I could before...but I really tried!

I'm going to start out with only taking orders for 10 custom dolls a week.  If that is still too many to maintain in a manner that honors God, I will then drop it back to 5....but we at least have a starting point.  

With that said, our Custom cart's are OPEN  for the very first ten orders for 2015!

My heart desires to Glorify God 100% through Baby be Blessed!

I praise God for each of you!
Looking forward to 2015!!  xo, Tina

Photo Contest!

It's been a few years since we've had a good ol' photo contest!

>> Remember this??

So let's have some fun!!  
Use your imagination and creativity!!
Send in old photo's or take some new!

Here are the categories....

Animals, Children & Holiday

Contest Rules:

1.  Photo must have a Baby be Blessed doll in it.  
2. Email photo's to babybeblessed@gmail.com by DEC. 28th.
3. You may enter in only 1 category.  

We will vote for the winners right here on the blog!

Each category winner will receive a $10 BbB Gift Voucher and the OVERALL WINNER will receive a $65 Baby be Blessed Gift Voucher >>so GO GRAB THOSE CAMERA'S!


Have FUN!  xo, Tina



By emailing your photo you are giving Baby be Blessed permission to post it on their website, blog and social media sites.   THANK YOU!!  xo

Why

Yep, why.

I'm sitting here in my sewing room this morning.  Soft music playing in the background.  A radiant pink orange blaze trimmed the curtains.  I pull a corner back and take in the sunrise of a new day.  A new day of grace.

The past couple days have been a bit messy and I am pondering why.

I set myself up you know....with tv and postcard scenes in my mind, the trimming of the tree never has played out quite exactly how I have built it up to be.  It was a bit easier when the kids were all small.  Their excitement!  Handing out the ornaments, one by one.  They burst with happiness!  Hanging them on heavy low branches.....

Maybe this is what I miss??

It sure beats the teenager grumbles and husband snoring in the recliner, that was last year.

I want JOY, SMILES, those GIGGLES!  {Trimmed with some soft Christmas music, the crackle of the fire and a warm cup of coffee in my hand, you know....}

But this is real life and in real life comes many seasons, so why get so grumpy when the postcard image doesn't play out?   Why allow it to steal my joy?   And you know how it rolls when mamma's not happy....

This year {though two teenagers still grumbled} we DID have a seven year old get up at THREE AM because he was so excited to "build the tree" and as Natalie and I tended to the horses, the two youngest built it together to surprise me.

My heart spilled over.

It is all just a reminder how we can build up expectations and then when things don't pan out...it's steals all of our joy, smiles and giggles.

As we head into Advent, my heart desires to only expect the expectation of His coming....and as I sit and ponder THAT this morning>> when I switch my focus to HIM...everything else simply falls into place.

xo, Tina

Too Cute Tuesday!

My little girl (Aspen almost 2 years old) loving her "dolls" She calls her lamb a "doll" too. Can't wait until I can have heart to heart with her about what those scriptures mean to us and hopefully to her. Thanks for spreading Truth one doll at a time!   --Katrina R. {2012}

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To have YOUR child(ren) featured on

 Too Cute Tuesday, please email,  babybeblessed@gmail.com. 

Send in your photo's!  Share your stories!  Let's hear how God is working in your life!!  

The only requirement is that you must include a Baby be Blessed doll in your photo.  

Use your imagination!  Have Fun!!