It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Well, I guess it's been a month, so time for my monthly update. I really wish I had more time to update, but wait until you see all my fun projects I've been working on. Seriously, Christmas time makes me so happy. I love the music, the lights, the "ambiance." It's fun, romantic, and just plain HOLIDAY!!!! It's been busy, but I've loved every moment of it. It all began the day after Thanksgiving. It's a tradition to set up the Christmas tree and all the decorations the weekend after Thanksgiving. I love it, and my husband even helped me this year. Then, I started the gifts.
This year, I made tile coasters with scrapbook paper, modge podge glue, clear spray paint, and felt.
First, you cut the scrapbook paper in 4"x4" squares. Then, paint a nice thick coat of modge podge on the tile coaster, then  lay the paper square out on the tile and be sure to push out all the air bubbles. Then slather on one more coat of modge podge over the whole tile. Once dry, spray a coat of clear spray paint. After it is dry, cut out 4 small circles of felt and hot glue onto bottom of the tile.

The second project was little while board picture frames with flowers on the them. I started with those clear plastic frames. I cut out a 4"x6" piece of lined paper and slid it into the frame. Then, I made some felt flowers and bows. I just hot glued them on the frame. Super easy and cute. I also made a few with simple Ikea black frames. Fun!

So, on to project three. I LOVE displaying Christmas cards. In the past I've just hung them on ribbons with clothes pins... totally cute, but my new way is this.

Soooo... these aren't nearly as cute without the cards (scroll down for finished product.) These are tomato cages bought at Lowes. I, then, tied the tops together to form a tree shape. Then, I made a cone (with wrapping paper) to fit over the top. The last thing was to make cute out a circle of wrapping paper and hot glue it to the bottom of the cage. Fun, and different way of displaying our friends and family.

Two more to now... take a white wire hanger and unshape it into a circle (this is going to form a wreath). Now, take a box of sandwich bags (the fold over kind) and start tying.

 After all the plastic bags are tied on, I hot glued ribbon, berries, and a poinsettia (but the flower fell off before the pic... oops!)

 Different, wintery wreath!

Ok... last one... one of my faves...
What I used: styrofoam cone, buttons, pearlized pins.
What I did... Pin buttons into the styrofoam cone, layering them as I went.

I LOVE Christmas! I had so much fun playing with all these projects!

Thanksgiving

Gratitude is an understatement of how this "simple girl" feels. I have so much to thankful for. I've been sitting here at my in-laws for the last few hours contemplating this fact.

My husband is the joy of my life.
He makes me laugh... just tonight, he was building a fire. To keep the story short, he almost singed his own eyebrows off and the flames were higher than the mantle. I couldn't catch my breath or see because I was laughing so hard and the tears just kept coming!
So. My husband also wants the best for our life together. We found out this morning that we are for sure moving out of our apartment in January, due to raised rent. I know that this is stressful for us both, and we definitely want to make the right decision of where to go now, but he has been on his computer researching, researching, and researching. It's pretty cute!
He also indulges me in my crazy schemes. I love to do projects and cook/... okay, seriously, LOVE is an understatement. I'm fully in the project mode now that we're on break from school and Christmas is a-coming. Not only does he support me, but encourages me. I thinks my crazy ideas are awesome, which is fun and keeps me going. My newest creation is a snow white Christmas wreath... pictures to come!

So... all that to say... I'm thankful for my husband.

My family blesses me every day! Even though my parents live across the country, I couldn't be closer to them than I am right now. I love talking to my parents on the phone and counting down the days until our flight to Florida in Dec. (It's 24 days, by the way!) My sweet brother and sister-in-law and baby nephew are so fun. Every time we arrange a time to hang out, I look forward to it more than ever. My in-laws are pretty awesome. I've never really been as entertained as I am when I'm with them. I spent my afternoon steam ironing drapes for my mother-in-law. As much as I felt a bit stressed out because there was pressure to do it completely right, and not ruin her curtains, I had a blast listening and talking to my sister-in-law and mother-in-law! They are truly amazing women!

There's so much to be thankful for, but it wouldn't be possible without God. He's so incredible to give us blessings and even hard things in our lives. On Tuesday, I found out that one of my students lost his dad to cancer on Monday night. I broke my heart to think of the struggle that that family is dealing with right now, but the more it has sunk in, I have realized that though it is a difficult time, they are so blessed to have family around and friends that love them and that want to be there to support them.

At our church, we've been going through Romans (Okay... for the last 2 1/2 years, we've been going through Romans and we just finished the 11th chapter.) A ton of it is so over my head, but I've learned so much that God is sovereign and he has chosen us to be his children. I am honored and humbled that he would chose me.

Okay, at this point I'm kind of rambling, but these are my inmost thoughts just flowing out. I'll start posting my projects and experiences with the kitchen... Every time I cook something new or fun, I've been taking pictures, so I promise, those pictures will be on their way!

So... with that... Happy Thanksgiving! Be grateful for what God has given you, and don't forget to tell those in your life how thankful you are for them and why!

God bless!!!

There's always a first!

So here's a new first for me! I'm starting a blog! As  a "girl" in my late 20's, with an amazing husband, awesome family, great job, kind and thoughtful friends, and truly blessed by her church, what more could a girl want? Right? Well... with all of that and much, much more, there's so much rolling around in my head that I'm finally succumbed to the fact that I need to take the time to write it down. Where that time will be coming from, I don't know! But it's worth a try, right?

So, thinking about a blog title... I was stumped.

• Do I want my blog to be about teaching? There's always so much to share!
• Should it be about sharing my passion for craftiness and cooking/baking? (And of course, my new found love for pinterest?
• Could I write about my adventures and forgetfulness? (Like the fact that I've lost my driver's license twice in past 6 weeks?) ok... that's just frustrating, but I do have some great stories of my adventures!
• Should it be about my constant struggle to "BE" the best I can be? ... I know, I know. Only by God's grace can I be the person He made me to be!

So, it all comes down to this. My blog should be about all of those things! I AM all of those things! God has blessed me more than I can even understand. And I want to share all of those complicated things wrapped up in this simple girl... BLESSED BY GOD! So, be prepared. Some days might be some fun pics of my creations and other days, I might just show you a little bit of my heart! Of all of the things to come, I hope you enjoy!