How I fly through life. They say to stop and smell the roses, but without a conscious effort this can be pretty difficult. Just like everything else in life- it’s a discipline.

Since the launch of TinRoofCuttingBoards.com we have received some amazing feedback. We’ve heard phrases like “such quality!“ and “a beautiful piece of art!” What I’ve realized is that these cutting boards ARE a work of art- each pieced together by hand by the same three people every day.  

This got me thinking about the phrase “hand-made.” I am not an artist (even my handwriting stinks). I’m not a seamstress (ability begins and ends at sewing a button in a crisis). I’m not a chef (instead I’m guilty of frozen dinners). And the list goes on. I fall victim to convenience.  This isn’t a pity party- just an example that you don’t have to look far to find opportunities to make something by hand. What’s the trade off? T-I-M-E.  

And that is the value in something hand-made.  

In college, I decided to scrapbook my Auburn Cheerleading experience. I have two quite large scrapbooks with a pages highlighting football games, pep rallys, tailgating (yep- cheerleaders tailgate), practice, socials, beach trips, basketball, volleyball (yep- we cheered volleyball games too) and appearances. Truly some of my favorite memories and I felt that documenting the journey was worth the investment of time and money for materials. I did the same for my wedding, starting with the engagement in New York and ending with the before and after pictures of our first house. More favorite memories! All of this to say, those three scrapbooks are my prized possessions. There’s no telling how many hours I sat on the floor in a room filled with photos, different colored paper, stickers, scissors, glue, notebooks, and markers all to have something that will sit on a bookshelf until I feel the desire to relive those precious moments.  

People who make things by hand- do it because

A)     they enjoy it

B)      it represents something special

C)      it’s made specifically for a loved one.

My scrapbook making reflects the latter two. The process was not something I particularly enjoyed- it was the idea of the end result that pushed me through completion.

The folks at the sawmill in Texas create hardwood cutting boards because, yes it’s their job, but mainly because they ENJOY it. Remember- the whole reason they began making these cutting boards is because it was a passion and a hobby for the initial board creator. He pieced together custom cutting boards because he enjoyed working with wooden projects and because he could share this passion with his family by giving them a personally hand-made hardwood cutting board.

And now it’s a full time paying job for a handful of individuals that share that passion. Isn’t that what people search for their whole lives?  

Having the opportunity to visit the sawmill and see where the process begins and ends has opened my eyes and reminded me that some of the material possessions I cherish didn’t just appear. Someone, somewhere with an immense amount of skill, had to piece them together. The experience has tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me to stop, smell the roses and appreciate the work that goes behind the products I love.

I enjoyed the “reminder” I received in my inbox from Seth Godin (marketing and PR guru) the other day to stop and smell the roses. Check out his quick read on what we as consumers SAY verses what we DO and the influence we carry. Pretty subtle guy huh? The truth is consumers DO carry influence. Today, I hope that you will choose to share your influence on behalf of Tin Roof by joining our Facebook community and sharing our page (see image below). Ready to buy? Shipping is on us. Just visit the website and enter the discount code: TATUMBLOG to receive free shipping on any order through March 31.

(Click to enlarge.)

As I stated earlier, I’m not an artist in any sense of the word, but I don’t have to be. Luckily, there are people out there willing to share the beauty in their art through their God given talents. For my bubble of a life, it means stepping away from the most convenient route and opening my eyes to discover the artists that are willing to put in the time to produce a quality product. I know those people exists because I’ve seen them hard at work, hand crafting cutting boards in Texas.

Stop. Smell the roses. And join me in standing behind the artistry and quality of Tin Roof Cutting Boards. 

If you’re like me, the thing your day consistently revolves around is food. Personally- it’s not so much in the morning, or even throughout the day. It’s dinner. Dinner signifies the end of another day and tells my brain it is time to rest.

Since living in Texas, I have had the opportunity to attend two live Beth Moore bible studies with 3,500 other women. To help put this in perspective- it’s like planning at attend an SEC sporting event. I leave the apartment at 4:30 to meet a handful of other women that carpool into Houston and don’t get back to my apartment until about 10 p.m. It’s quite a commitment, but oh so worth it!

We arrive about 5:30, park a few blocks away (strategically planning our brilliant exit), claim our seat in the worship center and wait for the band to begin at 6:30.

The praise and worship portion of the evening is in a word… breathtaking. Tears fill my eyes each time and I know God is in that room- celebrating his children! Beth Moore begins the study about 30 minutes in the service.  If you don’t know who Beth Moore is, this is a desperate attempt to describe her and this Tuesday night experience.

Beth uses her captivating personality to display her convictions in a very passionate and relative way.  After two evenings in the upper balcony, I feel that this woman is my friend. She cuts to God’s truth and His word- easy reality or difficult reality. She’s witty and humorous and extremely educated. You can find her blog here and find several books and bible studies she has written through a quick search on line.

So what does Beth Moore have to do with food?  In Beth Moore’s last study we touched on the table and what a sacred symbol the table is in God’s eyes. You see in scripture several instances when God calls people around a table to experience a meal together. Can you imagine if God made food tasteless? Eating a great meal with the people I care about always makes for a memorable occasion. God finds such joy in sharing this experience with us at a table before Him. The thought of this makes me smile. What about you?

Table Life is a book written by a pastor’s wife in Minnesota. Beth pulled out this book and read a couple of excerpts. I don’t have the exact quotes, but I was able to find some information by the author from the Table Life website that will give you an idea on how enjoying a meal around a table is significant to God.


For years I have been fascinated by the role of the table in the life of Jesus. Of course he needed food to live and he was entirely dependent on the hospitality of others. But the table was much more to Jesus than food for energy. It was also the place where he deepened and celebrated relationships.

Table Life invites the reader to first look at Jesus licking honey off his fingers, giving thanks, enjoying lingering conversation, loving a stranger, making promises, telling stories—all at the table!

Today we love our coffee shops and cooking show but we often neglect to share the vulnerable, intimate place of home. Table Life reminds us that no matter what kind or size of home we live in, the kitchen table is precious to God. Our tables can become a place where children flourish, hearts grow in faith, and the community faith is strengthened in love. We experience this life by learning to treasure Christ’s presence at the table.


My father, Ken Quattlebaum started a blog in April and named it after a breakfast experience between Jesus and his disciples. Resurrection Breakfast symbolizes the third time Jesus appeared to the Disciples after he arose.  In my Dad’s words:


It was again confirmed to them that the son of God, whom they loved, worshiped and adored, had defeated the death so cruelly inflicted upon Him. He was again living and in their presence sharing the fellowship and servanthood of His prepared breakfast.


It’s so easy to take our personal dining experiences for granted- who we are with, what we are eating, where it came from, etc. Since it is such a central theme in our day to day life, I have tried to challenge myself with acknowledging the abundance of blessings at each meal. I hope that these words will encourage you to soak in your own experiences and see God’s presence at each meal.

Although John and I don’t have a table we eat at each evening, we never miss an opportunity to enjoy a delicious meal followed by lingering conversations. Just in the past two weeks my memory overflows with such occasions. The other day, John and I had both missed lunch staying busy. At 3 p.m. I suggested we try a Mexican restaurant down the road. It was on a small pond and we ended up sitting out on the patio for about two hours enjoying wonderful food, beautiful weather and great company. Last week we walked to a farmers market in the town center and bought locally made salsa, peach balsamic, coffee, pasta sauce and honey. There is something about purchasing these things from the people that make it themselves that makes it taste better. Grilling out with John’s brother Crawford and sister-in-law Charmoin was certainly a treat. We could have sat around that table well into the night through all the laughter and story-telling. In celebration of purchasing a couch, we spent one evening snacking on tailgate food and dips while watching some of our favorite shows. Before attending my first ever true Rodeo (and the largest Rodeo in the world) John and I shared a meal with our friends from Tough Country.  Both parties would agree that we reached a new level in our relationship through conversation, laughter, and sushi.

If God enjoys watching us delight in great food with others we love before Him, then He must be smiling!

In a prior lesson, Beth pointed out that in the promise land, God provided wheat to his people- not ready made bread. God has given us the tools we need to be productive, but he wants us to share in the process, delight in it and be thankful.

I found motivation in that and I hope you do as well.

Now we are not physically making wheat, but we are trying to put bread on our table. We are thankful and happy to say that the website is up and running! What a marathon it has been these past few weeks- and it’s only the beginning.

We hope that if you choose to purchase a Tin Roof Cutting Board that you will share with us your experience on the website and of course your cooking experience with the cutting board. Please continue to help us spread the word and be sure to find us on facebook. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Until next time.