I love Christmas trees... They can be big and tall evergreens or they can be small table top trees of any kind and size. I love them all! And I'm always looking for creative ways to make more trees for the Christmas season. This week at Project Inspire{d} we were blessed with some pretty creative Christmas tree ideas, big and small. If you're like me, you'll want to check them all out. And even if you have your decorating done... well... there's always room for one more tree! When I saw this really creative idea for adding a natural element and a tree to Christmas home decor, I totally … [Read more...]
I absolutely LOVE using natural elements in my Christmas decorations. And the best part of using nature's gifts... they're usually free! That's a double win in my book. Before the leaves even started to fall this year, I knew I wanted to create something beautiful for Christmas with the plethora of oak leaves from the nearby woods and gold spray paint. But, what would that be? I finally settled on making an oak leaf Christmas wreath. Who knew the humble leaf from a stately oak could become so classy with just a few spritzes of gold spray paint? I had a pretty good … [Read more...]
I'm in a magazine! Would somebody pinch me?! You'll want to run out, right now, and get the special edition of Country Sampler's Christmas Decorating magazine. My local supermarket actually has it at the check stand. I pass it every time I go to the store. Even the cashier was excited for me. I've always wondered how people got to be in a magazine. In my case, it started with an email from the editor. She wanted to know if she could use a couple of photos from last year's Christmas projects... my nautical Christmas tree and the cute … [Read more...]
Hello, friends! Thanks for coming by! Have you started decorating for Christmas? I LOVE having word art prints framed and set in a vignette for the holidays. So with that in mind, I created this lovely print with this Christmas verse... "Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." by Norman Vincent Peale. I hope you'll download it, pin it up or display it somewhere special. Or... place it in a frame and give as an early Christmas or hostess gift. Download this Free 8×10 Christmas Quote Art Print for personal use HERE! If … [Read more...]
What are you hoping for? A good test result? An interview? A mended relationship? Hope is a funny word. To me, it's kind of a nebulous word for a nebulous idea or feeling. How many times do we say, "Oh, I hope so!" To your spouse or child, you might say, "I hope you have a good day." or "I hope you have a great time!" It's kind of like a wish. Other times it's an expectation for something to happen or for someone to make something happen. We often put our hope in things, in people, in events. Recently, a lot of people placed their hope in a … [Read more...]
It's no surprise that I'm a huge fan of handmade... especially a handmade Christmas. This week at Project Inspire{d} we were blessed with some pretty creative Christmas ornament ideas! There's still time to get your DIY on, so check out these super cute ideas and make yourself a handmade Christmas! I have to say, I was more than a little smitten with this faux pine cone ornament. I think it would be a real treasure to give these as gifts to someone who really appreciates handmade items. Felt Ornament Craft A skiing family will LOVE these so sweet ski ornaments. And they … [Read more...]
If a TV reporter were to stop you on the street and thrust a microphone in your face and ask you what you're thankful for this Thanksgiving... what would be your answer? We often talk about gratitude here and how a thankful heart is a happy heart. As I was editing photos today I was thinking about Thanksgiving and the pilgrims' first Thanksgiving dinner that my second-grade class reenacted on the stage of an old gym with the slippery brown linoleum floor. A long table was placed on the stage and set with food. I'm not sure if every student dressed in pilgrim clothing, but … [Read more...]
Wouldn't you love to approach Christmas with a sense of peace and purpose and less craziness? In the midst of the festivities, busyness, and sensory overload, you really can discover peace and purpose this Christmas. I've discovered that when I plan to focus on Christ's coming and Advent... the season leading up to Christmas where we intentionally remember what it was like for people thousands of years ago to anticipate the coming of Christ... my joy and delight in Christmas and God's GIFT to us gives me much peace and purpose in spite of all the craziness of the world … [Read more...]
Hello, friends! Thanks for coming by! Have you started thawing your turkey? This is the first time I've ever had a frozen turkey. Until now, I have only roasted fresh turkeys for Thanksgiving. My mom was a good cook, but she never roasted a turkey... we went to my aunt's for Thanksgiving on the rare years that my nurse mom didn't work. So, if you have any tips for using a frozen turkey... please spill. Besides turkey, I look forward to a piece of pumpkin pie. What's your favorite? After the pie is eaten, the guests have left, and the dishes are washed and put away... It's time to decorate for … [Read more...]
Thankful. Today I got up and chose to live a thankful life. Funny thing is... I did that unconsciously. And with abandon. I wanted to go down to the lake to see the waves. The wind had been howling all night, there were snow squalls, and winds were said to be gusting 40-50 mph so I knew there would be big waves. But, first, I need to purchase a new baking dish. It's a thankful dish. A name brand 9x13 baking dish that was all of $6 at the dollar store. At least half the price of the supermarket on steroids. Why is it a thankful dish? I'm so glad you … [Read more...]
In a blink, our turkey dinners will be consumed and all that's Christmas will commence. Are you ready? If you'd like to give your Christmas decorating a DIY or homemade flair... NOW is the time to check out these charming Christmas crafts and get your glue gun warmed up! I am always noticing printables. There's just something about a cute graphic to frame, use to make a gift tag, or include in my Christmas decor in a fun way. This chalkboard style reindeer games Christmas printable from Jenn at Clean and Scentsible is fabulous and she shares some super cute ways … [Read more...]
Hello, friends! Thanks for coming by! Can you believe that we're less than TWO weeks from Thanksgiving!?! We've been having such gorgeous weather and with the trees so late in coloring and dropping their leaves it just doesn't feel like mid-November. However... the calendar says otherwise! I came across this lovely quote, so fitting for Thanksgiving... To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven. ~Johannes A. Gaertner So I created a lovely Thanksgiving printable for you. I LOVE the final phrase of the … [Read more...]
Students on college campuses across the country were so filled with fear and anxiety following the presidential election that exams were postponed, cocoa was served, crayons and Play-Doh were given out, and counselors were made available. Fear spills out of every news channel as well as our Facebook news feeds. So many people are worried about their future, their children's future, the future of our country and the world. Yet, Jesus said in the midst of very tumultuous and troubling times... not unlike ours... "Don’t ever worry about tomorrow. After all, tomorrow will worry about … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving will be here in a flash! Get ahead of the game with these 16 yummy turkey recipes and fun turkey crafts. Are you looking for ways to make your turkey extra delicious. Then you'll want to try this herb roasted turkey recipe from Cooking with Curls. I've done something similar when roasting chicken, but this looks absolutely delicious and it's really simple to do, too. If your Thanksgiving celebration includes children... or at least the young at heart... you'll want to make or help the children make some cute turkey crafts. The thankful … [Read more...]
Hello, friends! Thanks for coming by! Here we are... the night before the BIG election. Are you excited, fearful, or just can't wait to be done with it all? Although I am fairly opinioned regarding all things political (thank you 9th grade Civics), I'm not here to tell you how to vote. However, if you've been struggling with whom you should cast your vote, maybe this simple list will help you... 4 Criteria to Consider Character ~ Conviction ~ Competence ~ Culture Sunday, our pastor did not even hint at who to vote for, but he did help us to consider the above through the filter of being a … [Read more...]
You are so very blessed. I'm not talking about the roof over your head, the family that sits around the table with you, or any of the "stuff" of life. It's all good. But there's better. As we embark on the season of Thanksgiving I am so taken with the knowledge that God takes joy in doing good to us. I will make an agreement with them that I will not turn away from them. I will do good to them, an agreement that will last forever... I will have joy in doing good to them. Jeremiah 32:40-41 Our good is His good. Our joy is His joy. It is His forever promise to … [Read more...]
The leaves are falling, the air is crisp, and coming inside to a warm bowl of chili or soup is comfort food at its best! We LOVE soup at our house and right now I have a pot of bone broth just waiting in the fridge to be filled with meat and veggies. YUM! I have to tell you... I was super impressed with the variety of recipes this week. A couple really caught my eye. Jenny from Honey and Birch created a Roasted Red Pepper and Brie Soup that sounds amazing. I love the idea of having a delicious chili waiting for me when I get home and this recipe for Pineapple Black Bean Slow Cooker Turkey … [Read more...]
