Feature Friday: Christmas Update

Hi there, lovely folks!

Della, my husband, and I just got back this morning from a much-needed mini-vacation in the Texas Hill Country. 

We played ping pong (I won, but only because they had the paddles I love) and mini-golf (he won, but only because, well, because he’s waaaay better than I am at golf). We ate yummy food, watched a movie (MI4…completely brainless but pretty fun, nonetheless), did some shopping (I didn’t find a thing, except a super-cute BCBG leather motorcycle jacket for $60—originally $250—but I passed on it…trying not to kick myself for that one, but I didn’t need it, and that’s a fact), and just generally relaxed and enjoyed each other’s company.

The kink in my shoulders that’s been there since about week 4 of Shaun’s work trips has finally loosened its vice-grip, and the constant, niggling feeling of, “You’re forgetting something,” has lessened considerably. (Probably mostly because I’m just doing a better job of ignoring it, but oh well).

A HUGE thanks to both sides of our families for keeping our kids. You guys are life-savers!

Well, I haven’t said much about our Christmas(es).  We do three each year—one with Shaun’s family, one with mine, and one with our best friends, Mandy and Robert and their kids (who are our kids’ best friends too).  The group numbers and “methodologies” vary a bit, but all are low-key, which I definitely prefer (no fancy forks for me, thank you).

This is my side. It’s just my brother, Shae (far left…anybody see any similarities between us? We usually get that we look just alike or are married, so it kind of varies widely), and I, as far as kids go (and he’s still looking for Miss Right, so I don’t have any blood nieces or nephews yet...boo!), so Shaun and our kids and I sort of take over when we visit my parents’ house. Someday I’ll have to tell you about how we all (minus Della) lived in their second story for a whole year!

ANYhoo, Christmas was full of good food, a few cat-naps, and great company.

Of course, there were some gifts exchanged as well, and I feel like I got pretty stinkin’ spoiled.

Thanks to my sweet hubby, I now have this fancy die cut machine:

I got a Cricut Cake, not because I’m itching to get into fancy cake-making but because the reviews said that, with a few simple modifications, it could do exactly what the other Cricut machines could + the cake options. Oh, aaaaand, it was about 1/3 of the cost of the others.

I am both itching to use it and dreading figuring it out (technology is not my strongest suit).

And thanks to my father-in-law, I have this pretty new plaything:

That would be my brand new Kindle Fire, complete with a fab red cover that he picked out for me. (I have now officially been introduced to the Angry Birds cult craze, and, I’ll admit it: I’m a fan).

My FIL gives really great, thoughtful gifts every year.

But then he’s a really great, thoughtful guy!

Further proof:

Do you recognize those mugs from my “Favorite Things” post?

Well, my awesome father-in-law—who reads my blog every day (hi, Butch! : ))—read that post and then ordered a mug for every letter in my name (including his first attempt at spelling it…let’s just say that I got a bonus “Y” mug…sorry, Butch, couldn’t resist! ; )). Oh, and he got me an entire Sam’s Club-sized case of gourmet hot chocolates in various delicious flavors!

Pretty amazing, right?

But did you notice that “H” there in the back?

 

Yeah, that would be the initial for our last name, and that’s the mug that my bestie, Mandy, had already gotten me before I ever wrote the post about how much I liked them (she was annoyed at me for writing it because she was afraid I would get duplicates after other people read it, but it actually worked out perfectly).

If you read my 5 Things Thursday Christmas post, then you know that I’m getting to be a bit of a Scrooge about the gift-giving aspect of Christmas and all of the excess and crass commercialization of a holiday whose entire focus should be the Savior who was born to die.

But I have to admit that I loved my gifts this year because they reflected the careful thought and consideration of the loved ones who know me best and care about me most.

And that, my friends, is pretty darn cool.

Hope you all have a marvelous weekend!

I certainly plan to.

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5 Things Thursday {#11}—New Year’s Resolutions

Hey there, everybody!

Ready for Thrifted or Grifted results?

Another close one, but you guys pulled it out! You sharp-eyed readers, you!

                     Exhibit A- 42%                                 Exhibit B-57%

Dress: Gap ($13), Shoes: Nine West/Marshall’s ($5) TOTAL: $18

Dress: GW ($5), Shoes: Nine West/GW ($3) TOTAL: $8

And the commenter that I chose for the 5 free entries into our Shabby Apple jewelry giveaway is: ShopRubyJeans (whose blog I love, by the way!).

She said:

“HHHMMM!!! I went with "B" as thrifted only because that's how I always did it in school when we had those stat testings... I just closed my eyes and circled a bubble... :) So I say "B" it is... I also noticed the small scuff on the "A" shoe but hey I figure if I can scuff my shoe so can she.. :)”

You got it, girl! Way to circle the right bubble!

And now…It’s time for:

…and this week’s theme is:

I would love it if you would link up (or leave comments about) 5 of your own resolutions, but if you’d rather just link up 5 pieces of randomness or a different theme, I’m totally fine with that too!

The “rules”:

• Please link up to your specific “5 Things” post rather than your blog’s homepage, and

• Please place the Five Things Thursday button (left sidebar) somewhere on your page or post so that others can join in the fun.

That’s it!

Happy list-making! : )

Here’s my list of the top 5 things I hope to accomplish in 2012.

1. Stress less.

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I’m the world’s least perfect perfectionist, and I’m can be really inconsistent about what I let get to me. Sometimes, it’s the big stuff. Sometimes, it’s something I know is not worth sweating, and I still obsess over it (okay, maybe too strong a word, but it paints a picture).

When I find myself caught up in worry, big or small, I want to choose to believe what Jesus said in Matthew 6:25: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”

and 27: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^b?”

I struggle with this verse because I feel like, “If I don’t worry about stuff, it won’t get done!”

But the truth is that I can accomplish things without stressing over them, and I hope to embrace that truth this year.

2.  Go to bed and get up earlier.

I have a feeling this will help with the not stressing bit from #1. I can see a direct correlation between my ability to gracefully cope with the “little stuff” (i.e. puddles of pee, lost keys, ) and how many hours of sleep I’ve gotten the night before.

3. Kick a really bad habit to curb once and for all.

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I’ve struggled with this particular problem since I was 4, and while that’s all I’ll say for now, please know that the prospect of updating you guys with good news is major motivation for me.

4. Become a prayer warrior.

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Our family prays before meals, before trips, before bedtime, when we’re thankful for rain or safety, when we’re concerned for the health of a loved one...to name some of the more common instances.

And I have little conversations with God all throughout the day (that all too often go something like, “Jesus, please give me patience,” or, “Lord, HELP!”).

But 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says: “Pray without ceasing,” and James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

So, I want more.

I want to be the kind of righteous intercessor who powerfully and effectively prays on behalf of my family, my friends, our nation, and our world.

5. Teach my children Spanish.

It might seem like a no-brainer since I taught it at three different high schools for 6 years (total), but teaching your own children Spanish is hard.  Mostly, because when they’re really small, a lot of what you say to them involves commands that you really want them to understand:

“Don’t touch that!”

“Come here now!”

“Wipe your bottom!” ; )

We’ve dabbled in it, but now that the boys are a little older, I’m going to be intentional (something else I’d like to work on) about it as part of their homeschooling.

The list could go on, but I’ll stop there. I’m not usually a New Year’s Resolution kinda girl, but I’ve also never had the chance to have such a large accountability group on my side (that’s you guys), so I figured I’d go for it!

So, what about you guys? Anything you’re itching to change, quit, or get better at?

 

 

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Wardrobe Wednesday: Thrifted or Grifted—Ruffled LBDs and Silver Heels

Hey guys! Since we always have so much fun with Thrifted or Grifted, I thought we might go another round this week!

Any objections?

No?

Oh, good.

So..what’s Thrifted or Grifted?

Well, it’s the fashion game where you test your thrifting savvy by deciding whether an outfit is:

A) 100% Thrifted: (adj.)—previously loved and therefore ridiculously cheap…aka Secondhand

OR

B) 100% Grifted: (adj.)—swindled or cheated…aka Retail

…and then you vote and leave me comments telling why you chose the one you did!

(Disclaimer: No, I don’t actually think that you’re getting ripped off every time you pay retail, but I do believe that if you can’t tell the difference, you shouldn’t have to pay for it).

If you’re a Thrifted or Grifted expert, then you know the drill—squash your face against your screen and check each outfit for telltale signs of thriftedness (ignore the wrinkles!) and then comment away telling me why you chose which one you did.

The commenter I find most entertaining (oh yeah! It’s as subjective as they come!) will get 5 free entries into our Shabby Apple Jewelry Giveaway! (Have you checked it out yet?)

Let’s get to it, shall we?

                                          Is it…                            

     Exhibit A                                            Exhibit B

The especially observant of you might notice that the background in these pics is just a tad different than usual.

I mean, there are no leaves.

Other than that, obviously, they’re identical.  I mean, I have my hand on my hip, and there’s a fence behind me.

Identical, I say.

Speaking of identical…no matter how much you smoosh your nose against the screen, you won’t find a difference between the tights and the jewelry in these two outfits. That’s because they’re the same.  It’s pretty much a physical impossibility to scrounge up patterned sheer black tights at a thrift-store. Oh, and sparkly bib necklaces? Yeah, those are pretty few and far between as well.

So, this week, it’s all about the dresses and the shoes, so here are a few more shots for your obsessing perusing pleasure:

Exhibit A

AND

Exhibit B

So, how about it?

Which outfit is 100% Thrifted?

Oh, and I kind of left you hanging when I mentioned that the background for my pics was different this week. That part you got, I’m sure, but in case you’re wondering where it is, it’s the balcony of our suite at the resort we snuck away to for a few days.

These were supposed to be my trial run outfits for our big date night.

So…did I choose A or B?

Neither.

I went with Exhibit C

Because ruffles and silver shoes seemed like a bit much for Thai food and a movie in Marble Falls, Texas.

After seeing the movie theater dress code here in the hill country, I think Exhibit C was the way to go.

See everybody tomorrow for:

This week’s theme is:

 

P.S. When I walked out in Exhibit B, my husband just stared at me with this look on his face that said, “I thought you said you were going to change.” And when I assured him that I already had, he didn’t believe me at first. Happy Guessing! (Diabolical chuckle).

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Try-it Tuesday: Guest Post from Aimee of It’s Overflowing

Hey there, folks, and Happy Tuesday!

I’ve got something fun for you today.

But first, the backstory:

About a month ago, I was making the linky party rounds, and I kept seeing a picture of these blue eyes in all of the thumbnails, with a caption underneath that read something like, “eye makeup tutorial.”

Well, I wasn’t really looking to revamp my primping process, so I skipped over it…until I saw it for about the 30th time.

Finally, I decided I needed to click and see what the chick with the “popping” pretty blue eyes had to say.

And, boy, am I glad I did!

Otherwise, I might not have stumbled across It’s Overflowing, Aimee’s fantastically creative and well-photographed blog.

After only less than 3 months of blogging, Aimee already had loads of fantastic projects to share, so I asked her by for a visit to show one of them to you guys today.

ENJOY!

Hi, I'm Aimee from It's Overflowing!

Thanks SO MUCH Abbie for inviting me to share with your readers, how I turned a Curbside Table into a Kitchen Cart!!!  I'm a home school mommy to three Sweet B's and married to a creative photographer and studly handyman ~ I affectionately call him 'Stud!' Together we're completely remodeling our 1950s original ranch-style home. Life is full of DIY house projects, designing, decorating, photography, crafting, cooking, baking, organizing and of course, errands! We're striving to keep things simple so we keep LOVING every moment!  You can read more about me here.

About six months ago, we were on the way to church wearing our Sunday Best, when I spotted this table on a curb about a block down the street we just passed.  I begged and pleaded and we turned around and threw the table in the trunk of my Photographer's (hubby) sedan where it stayed for the next twoish weeks until something triggered my memory and I ran out to the garage and brought it into our home.  The weathered table must have spent many a night facing sun, wind and snow!  In its new spot, the kids brushed by it as they ran their favorite loop around the house.  Endless pieces of paint began to chip and spread all over my beautiful wood floors and drive me absolutely crazy! So I grabbed some polyurethane and gave it a thick coat.  I liked the look much more with the cream paint staying put, but still wondered what it would eventually become.

As I was perusing Pinterest, it totally came to me!!!  I stumbled upon My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia's beautiful kitchen cart and I totally knew this sweet thing’s destiny in life!!!

Source: myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com via Aimee @ ItsOverflowing on Pinterest

I tightened the screws.

I Cut Slats into the Legs and my Photographer (aka, my hubby) Cut a Board Out of Plywood --- the little table needed added storage and stability!

I Primed the Table and the Shelf.

Then I ran to Home Depot and picked up a cheap $4 towel bar and a $2.94 sample tub of Behr Paint, color: Spiced Butternut (fitting for this time of year, right), and 4 caster wheels ($5.90/2).

Source: Home Depot

Finally, I got ambitious and put some action behind all my ideas!!!

Here she is in all white wearing her snazzy "new shoes" ~ and me LOVING her!  There was already a hole drilled through the bottom of each leg so I grabbed some toothpicks and super glue.  Dropped the toothpick in the hole and place a few drops of glue on the screw of the wheel.  This helped lots! With some pressure I was able to twist the casters snuggly into place!

Starting to Look Like a Fabulous Kitchen Cart!

I totally love this Kitchen Cart Remodel!  (Although the pic isn't quite showing the authentic color and my photographer (hubby) was at work so he couldn’t help me, bummer --- the pic above is the true color.  It's yellow with a bit of spice).  From trash to treasure in less than $20 Total!  Do you love it too!??!  Are you going to "Pin it"?!?!  Ha Ha!  I'm off to get more inspiration while I wait for the paint to dry so I can accessorize!!!  Now if I need to get busy and write some more posts about how I made my kitchen look all dazzling!

Side by Side: Here's the Before and After!

 

Thanks, Abbie, for inviting me to come for a visit!!!  I can be found over It’s Overflowing where you'll find simple recipes, house remodel projects, thrift store finds, and lots of simple DIY craft tutorials, like how to turn a Photograph into Canvas Art!  I'll look forward to visiting with you more soon!!!  XO, Aimee

 

Thank you, Aimee for sharing your creativity and mad DIY skillz with us.

 

Now, you guy needs to hustle on over to Aimee’s blog and have a look around. You’ll be so glad you did!

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Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS…from our family to yours!

.May the joy and love of this special day fill your hearts to the brim as we celebrate the birth of the Savior!

You’ve probably heard this song before, but I just heard the lyrics to Relient K’s “I Celebrate the Day” and was struck by the phrase:

“And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life.”

Mmm. Good stuff.

P.S. No Move-it Monday exhortations for you this week. I’ll be hitting the gym hard Monday evening, but that has more to do with the fact that I get paid to do it than that I’m so eager to burn off all the extra calories I consumed this past weekend (even though there were puh-lenty!).

I hope you get a chance to take a deep breath, shake your shoulders out a bit, and soak in family, friends, and good food.

Oh, and because for every decent picture like the one above, you end up with quite a few of these…

You’re welcome.

(I promise I don’t have dandruff).

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Feature Friday: The Christmas Round-up

Well, ready or not (I’m not) Christmas is aaaaalmost here.

And honestly, after seeing all the amazing Christmas-themed projects in cyberspace, I was starting to feel like I’d seriously underperformed in that category.  Until I started looking through some of my posts from the last couple of weeks and discovered that things have been a little more Christmassy (whoa! spellcheck had absolute no issues with the word “Christmassy.” Weird) around here than I thought.

So, today for Feature Friday, I thought I’d round up some pics from the last two weeks. You’ve probably seen most or all of them, but I’m doing it anyway, so…there. : )

First up, there were these easy glitter “word bird” ornaments I made:

And then this duct tape/glitter/ribbon Christmas card (which I sent to a friend…MERRY CHRISTMAS, Kiki!):

Then, who could forget the Shiny Redneck Christmas Wreath with maybe my favorite homemade flower yet (vintage buttons make everything better!)

And also our special breakfast Christmas-scape featuring the most amazing fruit salad I’ve ever tasted!

And my chandelier “tree,” which I thought was totally original until I started seeing it everywhere in blogland.  Apparently, I need to spend more time on Pinterest (no, I don’t).

Then, of course, the actual Christmas tree, in all it’s gifted, thrifted, deeply clearanced glory. It’s awfully pretty all lit up at night:

And because Christmas isn’t complete without something sweet to gorge yourself on, I shared my secret (okay, so I stole it from someone else) to spicing up “ordinary” cream cheese icing (which I would happily eat on anything, including, maybe, mud): APPLE BUTTER. And then I slapped it on cupcakes, which became Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Apple Butter Frosting (may it never be said that I used one word when I could use four).

And here’s a little bonus vignette from our sofa table that I snapped a couple of pics of yesterday (when it was extremely cloudy and gloomy, mind you). It features the cute little Guatemalan manger set I bought at a Christmas vendor’s market I participated in a couple of week’s ago.

My brother gave me the sparkly cherry blossom tree for my birthday. Yeah. He’s pretty great. Pretty much everything else I already had from past Christmases or bought super cheap at Target or Goodwill.

So, there you have it…my attempts at Christmassorizing our house this year. 

What about you guys? Did you get as much decorating done as you wanted to?

Anything new or different this year? I love to steal hear great ideas!

Our Christmas weekend is starting off with some errands still to run and a sick (but still sweet) baby-girl.

But I know it will still be wonderful because of Immanuel—God with us.

Merry CHRISTmas!

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