I've been having so much fun creating a coastal Christmas for my home this year. Thanks to a little gift of posies from my friends at FTD, I will show you how to make your Christmas tree elegant with fresh flowers. It's a fun twist on my handcrafted coastal Christmas corner tree. We spend a ton of time in this little corner, so I decided to let my creativity run wild with coastal-style ideas. It all started with making the wall-hanging, over the sofa, festive for the holidays with hanging mason jars and miniature Christmas trees and baubles. A short time later I joined in the Home … [Read more...]
I LOVE to entertain and host dinners and parties. I also LOVE to give nice gifts hostess gifts when visiting. With those two thoughts in mind, I put together a... Holiday Hostess Gift Guide *this post contains affiliate links* Entertaining during the Christmas season is one of my favorite things. As I put together this Holiday Hostess Gift Guide, I did it from the perspective of how I entertain. Picture me, opening my front door to you. There are candles burning brightly in the entryway, and I'm wearing a pretty hostess apron. Red Metal and Glass Lantern, Set of … [Read more...]
I'm so glad you're here! Each week you bless me with your extraordinary creativity. And I know our non-blogging friends can't wait to be inspired. I'm excited to see what you bring to the party this week! Mary Beth from Cupcakes and Crinoline ~ Malia from Yesterday on Tuesday Stephanie from The Silly Pearl ~ Diane from An Extraordinary Day Thanks for choosing to party with us! If you missed stopping by this past week I shared some extraordinary goodness on the blog... Let’s Pray as if Our Lives Depend on It :: JoyDay! Amazingly Delicious Chocolate Christmas Cookies ~ A Cup of Christmas … [Read more...]
Jesus taught us a prayer that is filled with power. It really is the key to learning how to pray in a way that matters. Today we'll discuss how we should pray as if our lives depend on it. If this is your first time in joining us for this series on prayer... you can jump in right here... or take a moment to scroll down below for a recap of what we have discovered so far on this prayer journey. Matthew 6 where Jesus taught his followers this prayer has been the focus of our prayer journey: “This is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, let your name be kept holy. Let your kingdom come. Let your … [Read more...]
How do you feel about holiday parties? Me? This may not surprise you... but I LOVE to host holiday parties. Especially open houses. So I am always on the lookout for Tantalizing and Festive Holiday Party Appetizers. And the easier they are the happier I am. Anything that can be prepared ahead of time always makes my list. You see... I have to be very careful to be done in my kitchen when guests start to arrive. It's my biggest issue when it comes to hosting... large and small events. That's why it's important for me... and my relationships... to find festive holiday party appetizers that not only delight … [Read more...]
If you put out a tray of Christmas cookies... the very first cookie I will look for is a chocolate one. No exceptions. I love chocolate and cookies are my favorite dessert. So when I discovered a recipe for amazingly delicious chocolate Christmas cookies... I flipped. And I'm no gymnast! These cookies are soooo good I'm also sharing them at a virtual Cookie Exchange with some of my fellow blogging friends. Links to all their Christmas cookie recipes will be found at the end of this post. The Christmas season is filled with so many memories in the making. I don't tend to dwell much in the past, … [Read more...]
Today I'm back with an idea for more easy to make coastal Christmas decor. Previously I shared my coastal styled poinsettia pillow which was beautiful and simple to make. When it comes to holiday decorating, I love handmade items, but I want to get them done in a snap and I want them to look fabulous. All the criteria were met with this whimsical art, plus it was inexpensive, too! Lucy from Craftberry Bush heard her friends ask for coastal styled art and she nailed it with this fun and FREE watercolor printable. I downloaded mine to a memory stick and drove over to Staples. … [Read more...]
Rockin' around the Christmas tree... let the Christmas spirit ring! My tree has arrived! And yes... as soon as it is beautifully adorned... I'll share it with you here. Just in case you didn't know, or couldn't guess, I LOVE decorating the Christmas tree. Except... this year I'm making every single ornament. Okay... whose bright idea was that? Good grief! I have soooo much to do. So... if you miss me... you'll know where I am... swamped in fabric and glue and shells and driftwood... because this year... I'm going coastal with my Christmas decor. If you want a glimpse, be sure to check out my pretty and … [Read more...]
We've been on a journey of learning how to pray in way that matters. Today we're discussing a hot topic for many of us... how we forgive others. Jesus packed a lot of power into this prayer he taught us and his followers to pray. The Lord's prayer is a life-giving prayer. It teaches us how to pray in a way that makes a difference. Its concepts are life-changing. At the end of this post there is a recap of what we have discovered so far. If you like, scroll down and read that first if this is your first time joining us. Or.... jump in here, now. Our source for this prayer journey has … [Read more...]
Have you finished decorating your home? I haven't! Tomorrow we'll fill our window box with greens and winterberries. And then there are all those ornaments I still have to make for the tree. Yikes!! Where does the time go? Wherever you are in the realm of decorating... from just thinking about it to finished and gathering ideas for next year... we've got some truly fabulous and festive DIY Christmas decor ideas waiting here for you. If you're a cookie baker... you'll want to revisit this week's link party for inspiration. There are tons of cookie recipes waiting for … [Read more...]
This year I'm going coastal for Christmas. My focus is Simple to Make Coastal Christmas Decor. For this year's fabulous Home for the Holidays Blog Tour, hosted by my amazing friend, Sondra, I decided to focus on a little corner of my home where we spend a lot of time. It's filled with handmade Christmas items like this poinsettia pillow I created with a coastal flair. And I put together a super easy tutorial so you can make your own coastal Christmas poinsettia pillow, too. If this is your first time here... Welcome! Be sure to take a minute to introduce yourself and sign up to receive more … [Read more...]
It's officially Christmas time! Sunday was the first day of Advent and today kicks off the first day of the Home for the Holidays Blog Tour hosted by my friend Sondra of Sondra Lynn at Home! Abby from Just a Girl and Her Blog started out the tour today... so be sure to stop there and also visit the other gals on the tour today. You're going to flip over the inspiration. I love that each day there's a different theme. You don't want to miss this! I'll be sharing some of my Christmas coastal style on Thursday. Be sure to stop and let me know you popped by. I'm so glad you're here! Each week you bless me … [Read more...]
We've been on a journey of learning how to pray in way that matters. I am so grateful that some of you have mentioned that this has been a helpful journey. For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with prayer. Especially seeing the results of powerful praying and wondering how I can pray in a way that matters. At the end of this post there is a recap of what we have learned so far. If you want you can scroll down and read that first if it's your first time joining us. Or.... just jump in now. Our source for this prayer journey has been Matthew 6 where Jesus taught his followers this … [Read more...]
My desire to make coastal Advent candles comes from some very sweet childhood memories. Every Christmas, my parents would take me to services at the Swedish Lutheran church. A highlight for me was observing the Advent candle lighting. The Advent candles hung near the altar in a large circle of evergreen. There were four red candles on the wreath with a large center white candle. And though I really enjoyed singing the Christmas carols, I was mesmerized with that wreath. Once I was an adult I realized many families had Advent wreaths and candles in their home. Many even participated in special … [Read more...]
When I lived in NY I hosted a few Christmas cookie exchanges. It was so much fun. And I loved having a huge variety of cookies for entertaining without having to bake 20 varieties. Whether you have a cookie exchange looming and want to bake up something different, or you simply love to bake Christmas cookies to give away, you're going to love this week's Project Inspire{d} round-up of 25 festive holiday cookie recipes. Get your "pinning finger" ready for these great recipes... 30 Festive Holiday Cookie Recipes to Make Chocolate Chip Coffee Toffee Cookies by A Dish of Daily Life Pumpkin … [Read more...]
I come with a grateful heart today. Grateful for you and the joy of An Extraordinary Day. Grateful for my husband and my very special friends. But, most of all, I am grateful to my God... for his love, grace, mercy, provision, favor, and blessing. King David expressed it best.... Blessed are you, God of Israel, our father from of old and forever. To you, O God, belong the greatness and the might, the glory, the victory, the majesty, the splendor; Yes! Everything in heaven, everything on earth; the kingdom all yours! You’ve raised yourself high over all. Riches and glory come from you, you’re … [Read more...]
This year, will you be missing the comforts from home at the holidays? Most of us want to be home at the holidays... but it isn't always possible. We rarely made it home for Thanksgiving or Christmas when we lived in New York, but the 4th of July, you betcha we were there! Living far from home, we developed a strategy for the holidays... Tips for Celebrating the Holidays Away from Family Invite friends and acquaintances to join you for the holiday. It's amazing how many people are away from home or alone for the holidays. Don't do everything yourself. Ask … [Read more...]
