Today is my one-year anniversary of partying with my wonderful co-hostesses... Mary Beth from Cupcakes and Crinoline Malia from Yesterday on Tuesday Stephanie from The Silly Pearl and YOU!! I'm so blessed to team up with Mary Beth, Malia, and Stephanie... the smartest, most creative, and sweetest gals ever. It's so much fun working with them and getting to know each of them. (Love you gals!!) And thank YOU for coming by each week and linking up your extraordinary ideas and projects. You all are the BEST!!! Thank you so much for your warm and lovely comments, too. Your talents never cease to amaze … [Read more...]
As we enter this New Year there is no doubt, we will face unexpected challenges, disappointments, and heartaches. I wish it weren't so, but the Bible tells us to expect it. That doesn't mean that we need to live in fear, looking around every corner, or expecting the "other shoe to drop." We need to look forward with great expectation. God has great things planned for us. He knows where we'll be going, what we'll be facing, and even our opposition. He will provide us with every ounce of strength we need. He wants us to walk victoriously, without stumbling or wavering. The Lord God is my … [Read more...]
Did you make a New Year's resolution? I am certain that there are many people who not only made New Year's resolutions for 2015... but have broken one or more already. Fear of failure is one of the chief reasons that so many people don't make resolutions at the start of the New Year. As the year came to a close, I decided I needed to do something for the New Year that did not include the typical Word for the Year or resolutions. I ruminated on this for some time, feeling resistant to set anything down in pen or type. My resistance was undoubtedly mixed with fear of failure and living in limbo and … [Read more...]
Raise your hand if the Christmas season gives you a sensory overload. Now don't get me wrong... it's not a bad thing. I love every. little. thing. about Christmas from the trees to the sparkling lights and all the amazing savory and sweet treats. What's especially good for me... all that goodness decreases my appetite. I'm probably one of the few who lose a pound or two at Christmas. Before you get all jealous or start rolling your eyes I need to confess... I can get in big trouble about the time Valentine's Day rolls around. Yup... that's my season to over indulge in everything chocolaty and … [Read more...]
The clock is ticking down on 2014... and what a year it was! For the most part... I don't share what's going on in my personal life. But, if you're a faithful reader, you are aware that this year has been filled with challenges. One thing I have been so grateful for, is this blog. And considering my year, I pushed forward through it all. The reward has been new relationships with other bloggers, considerable growth, the blessing of working with brands, and YOU. Thank you so much for your faithfulness! I love reading your comments, your emails, and chatting with you on Facebook. You have … [Read more...]
I can hardly believe it! It's late December and there isn't a flake on the ground here in Michigan. After last year's deep freeze and over abundance of snow... I'm loving it! In fact, I think that I'll celebrate with paper snowflakes this year. :) After Christmas do you transition to winter home decor? If you're trying to figure out how to transition your Christmas decor to winter, this just might be the perfect idea for you. If you'd like to see some of my other ideas, check out a guide I wrote for eBay. Click on the pin here. It's time for Project Inspire{d}! I am so … [Read more...]
Can you believe this is the last Joy Day! for 2014? Weekly we've been gathering together and counting the good and not-so-good things from the year. Often, I feel like I have nothing to give other than just being here and trusting God with you. Kind of like friends who go for a walk together, not saying much, just being together for the journey. Always I ask God to give me something. Something that will encourage your heart and mine. This year has been a trying year. As the hands of the clock turned synchronously with the calendar's pages to the new year, I believed this … [Read more...]
Wow! That was fast! I cannot believe how quickly the Christmas season zoomed in and out this year. We were blessed to have had some special time with my husband's family, plus a brief time with dear friends we rarely see. I know the holidays are not wonderful for everyone. But, I do hope in the midst of it all, you were able to sense God's amazing love for you. It's that love that brought us the very best gift we'll ever know. Do you ring in the New Year with family and friends? However you celebrate, large or small, quiet or loud, we've got some delicious New Year's Eve menu ideas from this week's Project … [Read more...]
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15 Praying you have a JOYous and Blessed Christmas! Love, Diane … [Read more...]
In busyness of the season, you may have missed my popular series, Creating Christmas Memories with Vignettes. Each week we were blessed by one of my blogging friends as they shared their Christmas Memories with a special vignette or maybe several. More than anything, I loved the stories they shared. Our heart strings seem to be more sensitive this time of year. Maybe now that everything is decorated, you'll enjoy their posts in a new and fresh way. It's a good time to take a look at your decor and make plans now to create Christmas memories to be treasured with vignettes. If you missed the … [Read more...]
How would you like to make your holidays brighter? I'm so excited to be able to give you the opportunity to win a $250 Visa gift card courtesy of BlueMountain.com. Someone is going to be super blessed! Last week my friend Melanie linked up a Christmas post to Project Inspire{d} that touched my heart. She talked about how much she had to do for Christmas, how her decor wasn't really blog/magazine worthy, and then she shared this... My old, plastic light-up nativity set may seem cheap to some, but my kids absolutely love it. They spend time outside carrying Baby Jesus … [Read more...]
Perfect love. Is there really such a thing? This is the fourth Sunday in Advent. If you follow the tradition of lighting a candle each Sunday in Advent, you will be lighting the candle of love. Love. What can I say about love that hasn't already been said? Nothing. So, this morning as I was lying in bed, quiet, I asked God to speak the verse into my heart that he wanted me to consider here with you. After some silence... it came: "perfect love casts out fear" I did not expect this verse for Christmas time. But, as I reflect and consider it with you, let's look at the whole verse in its … [Read more...]
How would you like to have an extra $250 to spend over the holidays? Of course you would! Hurry on over here... and enter my GIVEAWAY for a $250 Visa Gift Card! Speaking of the holidays... You all brought a ton of Christmas creativity to Project Inspire{d} this week. Here are just a few sweet ideas that caught my eye... 7 Peppermint Treats DIY Peppermint Sugar Scrub by Tabler Party of Two Make Peppermint Sugar Scrub by Living on the Cheap Chocolate Chunk Peppermint Cream Cookies by Up State Ramblings Vanilla Peppermint Body Butter by Robynsview Skinny … [Read more...]
Just reading the words, "holiday entertaining" makes some people start to sweat. Whether you're a pro or struggling to get it together to host a small party, here are... 7 Tips for Stress Free Holiday Entertaining One :: The gathering is not about YOU... it's about your guests. Whether you've been entertaining for years or you've been trying for years to get enough gumption to invite friends to your home...remember the party is not about you. It's not about how good your cooking is or isn't. It's not about how beautiful your home is or isn't. It's not about the size of your … [Read more...]
This post is a partnership with Blinds.com. All opinions are entirely my own. Have you ever been invited to someone's home for "the big game" and once it was game time, the blinds came down and the curtains were drawn so that everyone could see the TV without glare? My good friends did that very thing. Their room started to feel closed in and cave-like. It was like being in another world. Quickly I had no idea what the day was like outside the windows, it felt like night inside, just so we could watch the game. I don't know about you, but I'm one of those gals who prefers not to have anything at her … [Read more...]
Christmas Baking Vignette What a treat to be here visiting my friend Diane at An Extraordinary Day! I was so excited when Diane told me that she was hosting a series on Christmas vignettes. I love the idea of creating small vignettes in my home. It's an easy way to break decorating into small manageable bites. And that is especially welcome at the holidays when decorating the whole house can feel quite overwhelming. Today I'm sharing a simple little vignette that sits on my kitchen counter and it's all about family traditions and baking Christmas cookies. I … [Read more...]
How would you like to have a fresh evergreen centerpiece for Christmas? I've been making one for years and now... with this tutorial you can too! Let's start with our supplies... Waterproof container ~ This Lenox Winter Greetings Bowl*is a new version and similar to the one I used. Pruner * Sharp knife with a long blade Oasis® floral foam* Assorted fresh cut evergreens Berries or rose hips ~ fresh or artificial Pine cones English ivy or boxwood is also a wonderful addition Optional: small bird house, bird cage, candle, bird, etc. Hot tip! I picked up my … [Read more...]
