Happy New Year!

Today, remember that your life is a gift.

Your spouse is a gift; your children are a gift.

Your extended family and friends are a gift.

 Don't miss the gifts that God sends your way.

 

Make this the year that you appreciate all that you have.

I hope this is your best year yet.

 

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.



 

So we may boldly say,

"The Lord is my helper;

I will not fear.

What can man do to me?"

Hebrews 13:6

 

 

 

Top 5 Recipes of 2014

Being a stay-at-home mom, I do a lot of cooking and baking.

And let me tell you, I love quick and easy recipes.
When I find good ones, I like to share them.

 

Here are my top five viewed recipes of 2014. . .

 

 

Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

  

M and M Cookie Bars

 

 

Quick Fix Beef Burrito Skillet

Cinnamon Roll Bites

 

 

Applesauce Cookies

 

Try one or all five!

Stop by every Tuesday for a new recipe.

 

Here's to another year of delicious recipes!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by God bless.

 

Through God we will do valiantly,

for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.

Psalm 108:13

 

This post is linked to It's Overflowing, My Girlish Whims, I Heart Naptime,
Be Different, Act Normal, and Daisy Cottage Designs. 



Top 10 DIY's of 2014

I appreciate each and every one of you who stop by to see what creative endeavor
 I've been up to in my little part of the world.
 

Here are my top 10 viewed DIY's of 2014. . .

 

 

Couch made from old doors

 

Creating a cushion for the above couch

 

 

"10 Things I Love About You" album

 

Easy to Make Quote Plaque DIY 

 

Creating a basket full of sunshine

 

Super Easy Purse DIY 

 

Decorating with chairs

 

Distressed Paper Mache Letter

 

 

Recipe Box DIY

 

Vintage Hymn Necklaces

 

If you haven't already, please follow me via Facebook, Pinterest, and Google Friend Connect.

 

If you'd like to see the top 10 DIY's from 2013, you can go here.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and everyday!
God bless.

Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind,

live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

2 Cor. 13:11

This post is linked to Skip to My Lou, Tip Junkie, Plucky's Second Thought,
Funky Junk, Today's Creative Blog, and Between Naps on the Porch.


Don't Throw Away All Those Christmas Cards. . .

Christmas is over. That's always bittersweet.
It seems to come on us in a rush, then whizzes right by.

One thing I always do once it passes is gather up all the Christmas cards that we have gotten.

 

This year, I did something super easy.

I punched holes in the upper corners, then bound them with an office ring.

I tied couple of pieces of ribbon on the ring and added a tag that says 2014.

I think the only thing that would've been easier is if I'd bound them with a rubber band.

 

 

If you don't usually keep your cards, I suggest you try this.

It will only take a few minutes, but will make a wonderful keepsake.

 

I now have five years' worth of cards and it is delightful to go back through them and look at them.

I wish that I'd been keeping them all along. 

Once you bundle them, you can put them in a cute basket and set them on your coffee table.

You can go here and here to see the card bundles I've done in years past.

How many of you keep your cards every year?
How do you keep them organized?

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

 O God, my heart is steadfast;

I will sing and give praise,

 even with my glory.

Psalm 108:1

 

 This post is linked to Glitter, Glue, and Paint,  Be Different, Act Normal,
The Handmade Hangout, and The Creative Collection.

 



Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you all!

I hope you have a beautiful and blessed Christmas.

Take lots of photos.

Give lots of hugs.

Make lots of memories.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

 

For Your mercy is great above the heavens,

 and Your truth reaches to the clouds.

Psalm 108:4

 

 

Recipe of the Week #150- Peanut Clusters

Peanut Clusters
1 lb chocolate almond bark
1/2 cup peanut butter
1-2 cups peanuts

Melt the chocolate and peanut butter. Add the peanuts.
Drop by teaspoons onto waxed paper or into small candy cups. Let cool.

These are a staple during the holidays at our house. My thirteen year old son says that they taste like Christmas!

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

Proverbs 25:11

 

 

This post is linked to Daisy Cottage Designs, Between Naps on the Porch, I Heart Naptime,
and Skip to My Lou.



Paper Heart Ornaments

Last week I showed you several projects you can make using old books,

and I have one today that uses the pages from old books. . .

 

 

paper heart ornaments.

 

I used a 3/4" heart punch and some old book pages.

I filled the bulbs about half full then tied a piece of ribbon and jute around the top.

 

 

I got the clear bulbs at Hobby Lobby.

 

These would make cute gifts if you've got some last minute gifts to give.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

 

Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits.

1 Cor. 15:33

 

 This post is linked to It's Overflowing, Tip Junkie, My Girlish Whims, 

Tatertots and Jello, and Natasha In Oz.



Super Simple Christmas Wreath

I have a simple Christmas wreath hanging on my front door.

It's the same wreath that hung all fall

and all spring.

 

 

It's a grapevine wreath with a letter S on it.

Every season, I change out the flowers.

I get flowers at the dollar store and glue them onto an alligator clip.

Then I just clip them on.

 

So simple.

So pretty.

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

 

 

Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore!

Psalm 105:4

 

 This post is linked to I Heart Naptime, My Repurposed Life, Too Much Time On My Hands,
 and The Creative Collection.



Thrifty Thursday #147

This is the last Thrifty Thursday for 2014,

so I thought I'd share my five favorite finds this year. . .

 

this fan

I think it's so beautiful!

I'm hoping my hubby and I can get it up and running.

I have another vintage fan that actually works, and boy, does it have some power!

If we can't get this one to work, I'm thinking it would make a cute lamp. . .

 

 

this bowl

It was love at first sight with this bowl.

How great are the green flower edges?!?

 

 

this scale

I pick up scales whenever I find them- especially when they're big and beautiful like this one.

They look pretty cute sitting on a shelf amongst books and photo frames.

 

 

this rocker

I got it for $37.50 because it was the second day of the sale and everything was half off.

It's beautiful, strong, and sturdy, and my hubby had been wanting one.

Score!

 

 

this globe

I love all things relating to globes and maps. I especially love the tan color on this one.

 

See what kind of good stuff you can find secondhand?

Gosh, I just love thrift stores and yard sales,

and I especially love estate sales!

 

Stop back by the first Thursday of the new year to see

 what kind of treasures I've dug up over the holidays.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

 

 

Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!

Psalm 105:3

 

This post is linked to Ivy and Elephants, Junkin' Joe, and My Salvaged Treasures.

Layout of the Week #100

This is Layout of the Week #100- now, that's a lot of layouts!!!

Hopefully, you've been following along and have a nice amount of pages done.

If you're new, welcome! Every other Wednesday, I feature a new simple tutorial to complete a layout.

 

Use supplies you have on hand and follow these easy steps,

and you'll complete this layout in less than an hour!

 

 

 

To complete it, you'll need:

one piece of 12"x 12" pattern paper

one piece of pattern paper measuring 4"x 12"

one piece of pattern paper measuring 1"x 12"

title card or letter stickers for the title

journaling card (I used two)

3-4 embellishments in your theme

adhesive

paper trimmer

optional: two types of decorative tape

 

First, place the 4"x 12" piece of pattern paper across the bottom

of the 12"x 12" piece of pattern paper.

 

Place the 1"x 12" strip of pattern paper along the top of the first piece.

 

Adhere 2-3 vertical photos along the left edge of the layout.

 

Place two more photos along the edge of the first row of photos.

Note: only place adhesive along the left and right edges of these two pictures. This will give you room to tuck your journaling card behind the photos if you wish.

 

Write on your journaling card(s) and it behind the photo.

If you'd rather, you can slide your photos down and place the card above them.

 

I placed one to pull out from behind the top photo and one to pull out from behind the bottom photo.

 

Place your title to the right of the photos.

 

Optional: place decorative tape at opposite corners of your title.

 

To finish it off, add two embellishments in the upper right corner

and two embellishments in the lower left corner.

Place two strips of decorative tape- one above the upper left photo and one at the bottom of the bottom right photo.

 

Note: I wanted my embellishments to hang over the edge of the right side, so I trimmed 1/2" off the right edge of the layout.

 

Now, doesn't it feel good to get a page done?

 

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

 

Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name;

make known His deeds among the peoples!

Psalm 105:1

 

 

 



This post is linked to Plucky's Second Thought, Embracing Change,

Tater Tots and Jello, and Tip Junkie.

Recipe of the Week#149- Enchilada Soup

Enchilada Soup
1 1/2 lbs beef
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 28 oz can enchilada sauce
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can corn, drained
1 cup sliced zucchini
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 med. onion, chopped
4 oz green chilies
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

In a large pot, brown the beef. Place meat and all the other ingredients in a crock pot and let simmer until heated through. The longer you cook it, the better flavor it will have. Serve with chips, cheese, or sour cream.

Note: I omitted the green chilies. There's just something I don't like about them:)

This soup was fantastic. I don't know why, but if you add zucchini to a dish, I just love it! This is such an easy dish to make- it would be good for a potluck.

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

Psalm 104:33

This post is linked to Natasha In Oz, My Girlish Whims, and It's Overflowing.

Christmas Projects Made From Vintage Books

I love old books and pick them up whenever I find a good deal on them.

Sometimes they are too cute to cut up, so I'll set them out as part of my decor.

Other times, I get some that are very worn out that I know I can repurpose into something cute.

Here are several Christmas projects that I've made using old books. . .

 

 

vintage book photo display 

This is super easy to make and would look good displaying photos,

vintage postcards, or special Christmas cards.

 

 

vintage book table runner

This is easier to make than you'd think,

and it adds a unique look to your Christmas decorations.

 

 

old books as decor

Once you've removed the covers for the previous project, you're not going to want the interiors to go to waste. This post shows you several different things you can do with those leftovers.

 

Don't you just love old books?

 

If you don't have any books that you can cut up, swing by a thrift store.

You're guaranteed to find some there!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

 

May the glory of the Lord endure forever;

may the Lord rejoice in His works.

Psalm 104:31

 

 This post is linked to Skip to My Lou, Between Naps on the Porch,
Today's Creative Blog, and Daisy Cottage Designs.



Handmade Notebooks

Today is the Christmas party at work.

Every year I have given my 13 co-workers handmade gifts for Christmas.

My goal is always to find a project that is quick, easy, and inexpensive.

 

This year I made handmade notebooks.

 

I used various things for the covers: paint chips, maps, game cards,

Yoo Hoo and Mac and Cheese boxes. . . that sort of thing.

  

Then I cut up graph papers and ledger papers to fill the insides. Each book has about 40 pages.

I bound the books using my Zutter Bind It All.

 

 

To finish off the look, I made flower pens and attached them to the notebooks with ribbon.

I figure everybody can use a notebook, right?

 

These would make darling teacher gifts, too.

If you'd like to make some, but don't have a binding machine, office rings would work just as well.

 

What else would make cute covers for notebooks?

 

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

 

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three;

but the greatest of these is love.

1 Cor. 13:13

 

 

 This post is linked to My Repurposed Life, Too Much Time On My Hands,
Funky Junk, and Today's Creative Blog.



Thrifty Thursday #146

This past weekend, the Junk Hippy Show was in our town.

They come twice a year.

If you've never been, I highly recommend that you go!

 

They have booth after booth of awesome finds-- some vintage, some repurposed, but all beautiful!

I got this old window for $20.

Quite a bargain, if you ask me.

It's 31"x 35".

 

There were tons of finds that you'd see at antique stores, without the antique store prices.

 

The most awesome repurposed project I saw that day was a lady
 who used an old wooden radio for her sales counter. 

Loved it.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

 

(Love) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,

endures all things. Love never fails.

1 Cor. 13:7

 

 This post is linked to Craft-O-Maniac, Simple Nature Décor, and Ivy and Elephants.



Lovelies That I Love

Christmas is officially two weeks away!

How far along are you on your shopping?

I have to say, that I've gotten enough done that I don't feel stressed and boy, is that nice!

It allows me to enjoy the season:)

If you're still looking for gift ideas, let me show you these cute things. . .

 

 

This leather bracelet with an inspirational quote would be such a sweet gift.

There are several different quotes to choose from.

 

 

 

I love, love, love this phone case- it looks like a page out of a vintage Bible.

There are lots of different phone cases to choose from here.

 

 

What girl doesn't like a cute pair of earrings?

These are made from vintage typewriter keys and you can have them made to order

with whichever initials you want.

You can go here to see them.

 

How cute and unique is this tote?

It's made from a bag of chicken feed.

I'd be delighted to get this for a gift.

 



 

This is a 2015 daily planner with an old album cover!

Too cool!

They have all sorts of album covers to choose from.

 

 

Not only are all these ideas are one of a kind, but they are all $20 or under!!!

I'm not affiliated with any of these shops.

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

 

 

Therefore, whether you eat or drink,

or whatever you do,

do all to the glory of God.

1 Cor. 10:31

 

 

This post is linked to Embracing Change, Tatertots and Jello, Glitter, Glue, and Paint,
 and My Girlish Whims.