Buffy Sunshine

It's Been A While

2014-03-30T20:39:00.001-04:00

Hey there! I have not blogged since the first day of school. I have several reasons for that. In order to tell you those reasons, I'm about to do something that I've made fun of people for doing for years and (I can't believe I'm about to do it) blog about blogging. It's so annoying, but it must be done.

Long before the first day of school this year, I was considering shutting down the old Buffy Sunshine blog. I started this blog because I was taking an Elsie Flannigan art class online. The class required me to show my finished projects on my blog, thus Buffy Sunshine was born. It turned out to be a great way for my mom to see my horrible sewing disasters and keep up with the ins and outs of my days with the kids. I enjoyed blogging in those early days because it forced me to document more of my activities with the kids and I felt free because I thought only my mom and sisters were reading. As the years went on and the numbers on my blogs stats increased, I felt pressure to create "perfect" blog posts. It was still fun, but it was starting to feel like work. Then I found myself just doing "filler" posts to keep the stats up. I was disappointed in myself for trying to "create moments" rather than simply documenting random happenings with our family. There are many bloggers who get paid to blog and they create moments and they do a GREAT JOB at it. However, I wasn't getting paid and I was starting to make Buffy Sunshine more important that other (truly important) things. On the morning of the first day of school one of the kids said, "are you taking these pictures for your blog?" For whatever reason that innocent little question cut me to the quick. I just want to be a mom who takes pictures of her kids on the first day of school. For no reason. I don't want my kids to feel like they are always on a stage. So I took a little break.

But good news for those of you who are still checking in every now and then! (o yes, I can still see that some of you check back every now and then) I will be posting more frequently on this little space starting next week. It will mostly be about my work with Sunshine Magazine and my Alma Louise books and my face wash, but you'll get your Buffy Sunshine fix if you still need it.

I need a place to share about things like face wash without blowing up Facebook every five minutes. So check back! Happy Sunday!

first day of school

2013-08-09T13:26:00.000-04:00

The kids started school yesterday. And by "kids" I mean three out of my four children. And by "school" I mean real school... not homeschool. I've homeschooled them for the past three years, but this year we decided to put them in school. The first day was PRECIOUS! They all said it was the most fun they'd ever had and they couldn't wait to go back today. I just kept thanking the Lord all day for the opportunity to send them to school and for the hours that I got to spend cleaning my house and cooking and being the "keeper of the home" that I'm called to be. I hope your week is wonderful and you're feeling refreshed!

phone pics friday

2013-08-01T19:59:00.001-04:00

Hey errrbody! I cannot believe summer is almost over! I do love me some August though. It has always been my favorite month AAAANNNDDD it's the month I met Charlie. So every year around this time we start getting all mushy and gushy about the moments when we met. Fall is just a precious time of year. The photo on the far right of the middle row is a new product in the etsy shop. If you'd like me to paint your teacher's name (or your name) on an apple for the first day of school, please check it out in the shop. I hope your summer is bright and shiny!

PS don't forget to take a look at the Sunshine Magazine BLOG and find Sunshine Magazine on INSTAGRAM. You'll be glad you did.

Sunshine Magazine

2013-07-17T22:03:00.000-04:00

Hi! I'm starting a magazine. It's called Sunshine Magazine. I've been working on it for a long, long time.

"But I thought you just opened an online store like two months ago called TurnTurn!" You're right. I did. And then something amazing happened and I sold EVERY SINGLE ITEM in the store. And then I had to ship all that stuff and I said, "NO!" "NO,NO!" NO MORE SHIPPING!" And I realized while I was standing in line at the post office for the fifth day in a row that the online store business was not the life for me... NO!

"But what about birthday signs and party hats?" You can still order custom things on my old Etsy shop. Click HERE or on the button on my sidebar that says, "Buy my stuff."

"But what is going to happen to Buffy Sunshine?" "Will you keep blogging?" "Why are you taking all these pictures when you don't even have a blog?" Calm down. (That last question is an exact quote of my mother from Hal's birthday party) I know some of you start breaking out into a rash when you think about change or your eye starts twitching or whatever. It's ok. Take a deep breath. I will still blog here... sometimes. It will be less frequent than in years past... HOWEVER... Sunshine Magazine also has a blog if you need to see a little more of me than what I can give you over here. Also, I post photos on instagram almost every day and that's a great way to stay updated with our fam.

So stay tuned for all the details about Sunshine Magazine... it is going to be so fun! You can click the link on the sidebar any time and join me at the mag.

Hal's First Birthday

2013-07-15T19:59:00.000-04:00

We celebrated the FOURTH over the weekend. Because Hal is our "fourth" and because his birthday is in July, a patriotic party seemed like the most spectacular choice. We grilled food and made punch and shot fireworks and rented a water slide and my sister made a cake that almost made me cry from its awesomeness.

Happy Birthday, Hal! You have stolen a piece of my heart. You're the cuddly and sweet and calm and confident. I adore you.

showing my real

2013-07-09T22:30:00.002-04:00

We're in Mississippi this week visiting my family and celebrating almost one whole year of baby Hal! Stay tuned for all the super fun festivities going on for our little FOURTH! I wanted to stop by and tell you to click HERE and check out Courtney's "Show Us Your Real" series. I'm sharing my real there today and a little bit of what a typical day looks like for us. Hope your week is spectacular!

glimpses of our fourth

2013-07-05T13:12:00.000-04:00

We had a fun Fourth of July! I made popsicles and we stayed outside the whole day. I hope your day was full of sunshine and fireworks!

my thirty-third birthday

2013-06-24T09:30:00.000-04:00

I turned thirty-three years old over the weekend. Charlie planned two days of good clean fun and covered everything I love: local food, the beach, new clothes and a tidy, quiet house. I am loving my thirties and I can't wait to see what this year has in store. Bring it on 33!

our summer schedule

2013-06-11T14:18:00.000-04:00

Alternate title for this blog post... "How to manipulate your kids into letting you work out and get a tan." I love summer! Don't we all? Summers at my house seem to be more enjoyable when we stick to some sort of routine. I read THIS blog and it got me excited about surviving summer without spending a jillion dollars and/or having kids who are bored to death.

I posted our schedule on the chalkboard so everyone can see it. We start the daily routine every day after breakfast (around 9am). The kids read and write in their journals then they go outside for exercise. I use this time to watch the Today show and do either a p90x dvd or Jami Eason live fit workout. I get a good 30-45 minute workout while the kids get fresh air and lead each other through obstacle courses and relay races. Then they come inside and we finish the rest of the schedule, eat lunch, then do our "daily adventure."

Here's how I use the "daily adventures" as a way to get a tan...
Make it Monday. I'll say something like, "let's make a sand castle at the beach!" or "let's make a sculpture of sticks by the lake!" or "let's make something fun to slide on in the sprinklers!" So they make something while I watch them.
Take a trip Tuesday. We take a trip to the beach, pool or water park.
Wet Wednesday. Again... beach, pool or water park.
Thinking Thursday. We research things like how many strokes it takes to swim from point A to point B or how fast we can run through all the sprinklers in our backyard.
Friend Friday. We meet a friend at the beach, pool or water park.

We have had some creative indoor adventures on rainy afternoons, but all other days are mostly water related. How are you spending this summer?

father's day wishlist

2013-06-10T15:18:00.000-04:00

I seriously love buying presents for Charlie. Father's Day is coming up and these are on my list of things my baby daddy wants/needs. Anyone else shopping for Father's Day?

1. Working Man's Hygiene Kit / 2. Toms Chukka Boots / 3. Bow Tie / 4. Journals / 5. Duffle Bag

our life wrapped up in a pretty little blog post

2013-06-02T23:08:00.003-04:00

Story time! My husband, Charlie, is now officially a pastor. This is such a huge, huge deal. I share very little of our personal life here, but I think this story of God's goodness needs to be told.

I met Charlie in 1999 at the University of Mobile in Mobile, Alabama. He was studying Christian Studies and Sociology. We colleged up some pretty good times, fell in love, finished college and got married. Charlie knew he wanted to spend his life working in church ministry. Soon after we got married, we moved to Memphis, Tennessee so Charlie could go to seminary. He graduated three years later with a Master's Degree in Divinity. Then we packed up all our stuff and moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for full time church work. During all this time (from college to Baton Rouge), Charlie wore many different ministry "hats"... college ministry, youth ministry, music ministry, janitorial staff, intern, supply preacher, teacher... the list goes on. But his heart was longing to preach the Word and pastor the people.

Four years ago, we moved from Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Brunswick, Georgia. We moved to Brunswick (Charlie's hometown) after a series of events that made it clear to Charlie that serving as the Pastor of a church was totally and completely what God had placed a longing in his heart to do. After moving and settling into a little Baptist church, we did something completely unexpected... we became Presbyterians. (If you don't know/care much about the difference between Baptists and Presbyterians, just know that we love Jesus, always have, always will). This denominational switch had been something we'd talked about for years. After much prayer and study and counsel and more prayer, we decided to leave the Baptist church (we were both raised in the Baptist church, went to Baptist college, Baptist seminary, etc.). This was a BIG deal, but both of our families were beyond supportive and understanding and wonderful. This is where the story gets interesting...

We joined Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Downtown Brunswick, Georgia. According to Presbyterian policy, you can't be a Presbyterian minister until you have been Presbyterian for at least six months. This presented an interesting obstacle for our little family. Charlie had only ever received pay checks by doing church work. Since we were new to the PCA church, Charlie had to find work. Like, real people work. So we started a snow cone business. Charlie was learning and studying and going through the license/ ordination process while selling the heck out of some delicious snow cones. We made enough money in one summer of snow cone selling to support our family for almost a year... then then money ran out and we couldn't afford to rent a space to sell snow cones the next summer. Charlie applied for 12 or 17 jobs a day. He heard, "Sorry we're looking for someone with more experience" from almost every possible employer in this town. Apparently, a Master's Degree in Divinity doesn't amount to very much when you want to be a bank teller or a college admissions officer or a grass cutter or a coffee maker. He finally got a job stocking shelves from 3am-9am and worked at a golf course in the afternoons. After almost one year of long hours and late night talks about whether or not we did the right thing, Charlie got a marketing/sales job with a local landscaping business. The income was a little more stable, but his desire for pastoring a church was still very deep.

This past January (2013) Charlie completed the last step in the licensure process for the Presbyterian Church. We prayed and PRAYED that something would open up... a church in need of a pastor... anywhere. In February, a church from South Carolina called the pastor of our church (also a dear friend and mentor) to see if he would be interested in moving his family to serve at a church there. All worked out for him to make the move and God so perfectly answered our prayers by opening up a position for Charlie to become the pastor of our church... right here where we are! Even as I type this tears are streaming down my face out of excitement. There was a process of nominating and presenting and electing, but it is finally real. Charlie is really the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church. And I am really an over-eager, grace-dependant, hot mess of a pastor's wife.

The powerful creator of this world wrote this beautiful story for us. You know what kind of people sit in churches every Sunday? People who can't find jobs and people who are opening businesses and shelf stockers and landscaping guys and mothers of four children. If our Lord had not walked with us through these last three years, we would never know how to deeply love these real people. I am so thankful and overwhelmed.

recycled disney clothes

2013-05-29T10:54:00.001-04:00

Did you think we were done talking about Disney? NOPE! I made these outfits for this girls out of fabric scraps and old clothes. They wanted to wear "Minnie Mouse clothes" and this is what I came up with. I knew they couldn't wear an itchy costume all day and I couldn't bear the thought of them wearing a plain old t-shirt and shorts... so here we have a happy medium.

The red polka dot fabric was left over from a Christmas project a few years back. The black and yellow jersey knit are old shrunken t-shirts. Everything else was found deep in the corners of my sewing closet and pieced together. Millie's pants were old leggings with a little ruffle added around the bottom. I made Stella's pants using my one and only ruffle pants pattern. The tennis shoes take about 37 cool points away from the cuteness, but that's really the only shoe option for walking in the Magic Kingdom. I sort of gagged every time I looked at their feet that whole day, but they didn't seem to mind.

The highlight of the whole Disney trip for me was when Cinderella (that's right... CINDERELLA!) asked them if someone made their outfits for them. They said "our mom made them" and Cinderella said to me, "Why, these are the fairest clothes I've ever seen! Sleeping Beauty and I were discussing how delightful they looked when we saw them standing in line." I smiled and said thank you and refrained from curtseying. That was a HUGE compliment considering how many thousand outfits she must see every day. I also made Hal's Mickey Mouse suit from old T-Shirts...

Happy Recycling!

millie is seven

2013-05-25T10:29:00.000-04:00

Millie Grace is seven years old. That sounds so old! She has always had an "old soul" and seems so mature for her age. We love her so, so much and had the best time celebrating yesterday. We started the day with donuts, then a trip to Savannah. We met up with two of our favorite artsy church friends who only frequent the coolest places in Savannah. They introduced us to what could possibly be the freshest coffee shop we've ever entered, Foxy Loxy. After coffee and presents we shopped, ate pizza, people watched, giggled and headed back home for our family fiesta! Delicious tacos, an ugly cake and a Pinata named Sprinkles... perfect. Millie, you are so special. I'll always be jealous of your calm, determined spirit. We love you!

phone pics friday

2013-05-17T14:10:00.001-04:00

Here are a few of my favorite phone pics from recently. It has been a wonderful week! The weather is hot and perfect. Thanks so much for the overwhelming response to my new Turn Turn adventure! I am so honored to make things for you. Anyone else going to a ballet recital tomorrow? I hope so.

Birthday Stats Signs

2013-05-14T12:42:00.001-04:00

Birthday Stats Signs are now for sale in my shop (click HERE). They're hand painted and sure to add color and something extra special to your next party. Enjoy!

top ten tips for camping with kids

2013-05-09T09:17:00.000-04:00

I usually get two responses from people when I mention family camping. Some people say, "O how fun!" Other people say, "Wow. You are brave. That sounds stressful. I could/would never do that." I will agree that family camping (or camping in general) is not for everybody. However, if any of you are teetering on the edge of maybe wanting to camp in a tent with your children, here are my top ten bits of advice...

1. PLAN! It seems silly to say, but planning really is the most important part of camping. The more details you cover before the trip, the easier the camp out will be. I keep a huge tupperware box in our garage where I keep camping essentials. When I see beach balls or card games or cute acrylic coffee mugs on sale at Target I buy them and put them in the box. My husband plans the date and I plan everything else. I write out what we will eat for each meal and snack, what activities or games we will need, and what we will wear.
2. SURPRISES! If you are camping/traveling with children, it's always good to have a few surprises for them. When we get to a campsite, I usually pull out a few campy surprises for the kids while my husband sets the tent up. It's amazing how a new frisbee or puzzle or activity book can keep them occupied for a while. I purchase most surprises at the dollar store.

3. PACK LIGHT! We've never camped longer than three nights. I pack everyone's bag with only what we need for the days/nights of our trip. Underwear, pajamas, swimsuits and comfortable clothes for each day. Nothing extra. We have THESE duffle bags from L.L. Bean in extra small and medium size for each child. They are perfect.
4. FOOD! Food tastes better when you eat it outside. My kids say it every. single. time. we eat outside. I usually plan one "big" meal to cook over the campfire grill. I like to think outside the hot dog box and try new things like a grilled pizza or grilled veggies. Other than that we eat lots of crackers and peanut butter, trail mix and smores. I make muffins or scones the day before we leave and we have that for breakfast. We also bring lots of bottled water and juice boxes.

5. EXPLORE! Let your kids explore the campsite and climb trees and get dirty. We don't allow video games or electronics (besides my 4 cameras and our phones... and a fan) so the kids can have fun wandering and exploring. We bring bicycles and soccer balls and card games for down time. (Disney Campout included ZERO down time).
6. DO SOMETHING SENTIMENTAL! Find a stick and paint it or make leaf bracelets or see how many pine cones you can collect. Nature crafts are fun and they provide a free keepsake to remember your trip.

7. BRING A FEW COMFORTS FROM HOME! We sleep on air mattresses in our tent. We bring our own pillows and covers. The kids get to bring one special blanket or toy to sleep with. If the campsite has an electrical outlet, we bring a fan. It's o.k. to bring a few comfortable things when you're camping with children. Getting them to wind down and go to sleep is THE HARDEST part, so anything comfortable helps with the process.
8. DON'T FORGET A RUG! Our first campout away from home helped me develop a "must have" list for all future trips. You need a rug! We don't allow shoes in the tent. A sturdy outdoor rug serves as a place to wipe feet and leave shoes. Also, don't forget bug spray or baby wipes or towels (all things we forgot on that infamous first trip).

9. PRACTICE! Once we decided that we wanted to camp with our children, we knew we had to "practice." We started out in the back yard. The first two or three times we ended up going inside in the middle of the night. Then we ventured out to a local campground (our neighborhood is across the street from a nice campground). After that we went across town for a two-nighter. We set a goal to camp for three nights at Disney in spring 2013... check! And we've already got a lofty goal set for next spring.
10. STOP FREAKING OUT! The best piece of advice I can give you is to RELAX! Your kids are going to jump all around the tent and they are going to eat 40 or 50 marshmallows and they are going to get dirty and they are going to be loud when they should be quiet and they are going to wake up REALLY early. If you've planned and covered all the important details, you can laugh at the unexpected happenings. Remember that they are outside of their minds with excitement and they will keep thoughts of this trip in their hearts forever.

(Look at Millie G.'s face! Her heart is obviously overflowing with warmth and happiness.)

disney campout video

2013-05-02T15:56:00.001-04:00

Here's a little video recap of our campout at Disney World. Enjoy!

turn turn

2013-05-01T16:45:00.004-04:00

I'm opening an online shop. It's called Turn Turn. You can find my recycled clothing, gifts, party goods and artwork there. Please take a look and tell all your friends! CLICK HERE!

disney campout part two

2013-05-01T10:09:00.000-04:00

Dean married Belle. Or at least that's what he thinks and it is so hilarious that we aren't telling him any different. The cute little Disney worker said, "Whoever has the loudest ROAR gets to dress up like the Beast when we act out the story of Beauty and the Beast." Of course I knew that any one of my four children would win this honor. In the end Dean roared louder than anyone has ever roared, so he got to wear the cape. Then beautiful Belle came in and they acted out the story and fell in love and she kissed him on the cheek and he thinks they got married. Magic.

Camping at Disney is different from any other kind of camping. We didn't have to bring bikes and skateboards and games because there is literally something to do every second of the day (and night)... even at the campground. I loved it. We did leave the Magic Kingdom for a few hours the first day so we could explore the campground and swim and do some "campy" things. We also did something very non-campy/ non-Disney and found a Whole Foods down the road. We left a few times and got food there for a healthier/ more affordable dining experience. All in all, the trip was wonderful. If you are considering a family campout, Disney should be on your list for sure! Just be warned that Disney camping is nothing like "regular camping."

Stay tuned for posts about Recycled Disney Clothes and my top 10 family camping tips.

disney campout part one

2013-04-30T11:35:00.000-04:00

Our campout at Disney World was fantastic! Every single second was bright and colorful and just like a dream. The campground was super nice and the weather was perfect. I hope your weekend was magical!

we're packing for a campout

2013-04-24T09:52:00.000-04:00

Charlie and I have always loved camping. One time, before we had kids, we were laying under the stars holding hands and talking. We said, "One day we'll have lots of kids and we'll go camping at Disney World." Then we laughed. It's so exciting that it's actually happening! Tomorrow we head out for our first ever Disney World Campout. We will be sleeping in our tent at Disney's Fort Wilderness for three nights, visiting the Magic Kingdom and making lots of memories. Follow me on instagram (melsmithturner) for plenty of adventure updates.

and then i blinged out my chacos

2013-04-23T15:43:00.000-04:00

I've had my one and only pair of Chacos since the year 2000. They hold a special place in my heart because I bought them when I was working at a super cool summer camp. I've worn them in Africa, the Cayman Islands, Mexico and New York City. I call them my "souvenir shoes." I love them. However, the straps are a little out of style. Every birthday I say I'm going to just buy a brand new pair of Chacos, but then I'm like, "but what would I do with the old ones? Give them away? no. Sell them? no. Keep them and have two pairs? maybe." And then I just choose something else for my birthday present. You can re-strap your Chacos, which is what I was just about to do when I had this brilliant, glittery idea. BLING THEM OUT! I spent $2 on gold ribbon the exact width of my straps and $1 on gold thread. I figured if it turned out horribly, then I will order new straps from the website. I got busy stitching the gold ribbon and I LOVE how it turned out.

It took me one week (about an hour each day of hand stitching) and $3 to give my beloved Chacos a brand new look. They will come in especially handy two days from now when we leave for our Turner Family Disney Campout! Don't be afraid to bling your Chacos.

my dad retired

2013-04-18T22:02:00.000-04:00

My Dad retired today from his long time job with Chevron. I love him and I'm so excited for this new chapter!

juice fast... the good, the bad, the nasty

2013-04-17T21:51:00.001-04:00

I'm on day 5 of a 10 day juice fast. I'm starving. I'm doing the juice fast for three reasons... Number one, I watched a documentary call "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" and my interest was sparked. Number two, I've heard that 10 day juice fasts do wonders for your skin. Number three, it's good to detox your system every now and then. I usually do a three day juice fast, but this time I decided to go with 10 days and see how it goes.

This has been my lunch for the past five days. Spinach, cucumber and lime. I cut the cucumber in half and peel it, then I peel the lime. I put two handfuls of spinach leaves, the peeled cucumber and the whole lime (minus the peel) into my Nutri Bullet (purchased from an info-mercial). Add water, flax oil and blend for thirty seconds. It taste exactly like a lime (kinda sour), but with a little more texture.

For breakfast and dinner I mix in tons more veggies and sweeter fruits (pears and apples) to make a "heartier" juice. I like the Nutri Bullet because it creates more of a juicy texture than a blender but creates less mess than a juicer. Nutri Bullet did not pay me to say that... but they can if they want.

The first day was the worst, I had a headache from no coffee and I was super hungry. The second day was a little better, but I thought about chicken bacon ranch pizza the whole day. The third day was about the same as the second day. The fourth day I got really hungry about 2pm and ate some Wholly Salsa with a spoon. Today is a little better, drinking lots of water. I will keep you updated with the final results.

ballerinas in black and white

2013-04-14T14:57:00.001-04:00

Millie and Stella Belle were twirling and the light was perfect so I grabbed my camera. This was the result. These little impromptu photo sessions always prove to be the best.