Top of 2010

I love reading back through my old posts. Sometimes I impress myself...most of the time I say to myself "what was I thinking??"

Oh well, at least I tried.

In the spirit of the New Year, here are my top projects of 2010.

Reusable Sandwich Bags

Brown Sugar Cookie Sandwiches

Holiday Rosette Wreath

Homemade Bath Salts

Coffee Cozies

And my most viewed post of the year, the Fall Rosette Wreath

Happy crafting in 2011!

 

Giving Yoga A Try

A few things I know:

I have a stressful job

I am a stressful person in general

I need to lose a few pounds

And that is where this comes in...

I've got my yoga mat

my husband's making me yoga blocks

I think I'm ready

 

We're Home...

source

Just to leave again.

We're headed to Chicago tomorrow after work. I have never done anything cool for New Year's Eve...unitl this year! I'm going today to buy a cute something to wear. My standard sweaters and plaid flannel shirts just won't cut it folks.

My Favorite

Generally I don't like movies (I think I've used the word hate a few times), but I'm absolutely in love with this one. It's not Christmas until I've watched it at least 10 times. I'm sad to pack it up for another year.

source

The first comment telling me what this is from will win the keys to my movie hating heart

 

Sponsor Giveaway Reminder

Make sure you enter the To Sew With Love giveaway!! Ends the last day of December.

Click here to enter.

Merry Christmas

A Child Is Born

source

 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,

   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.


Luke 2:1-21

***

Father, thank you for sending your very best gift, your son Jesus Christ. You sent Him to free, to redeem, to whisper life and grace to a people who were not worthy. 

I was born a sinner but through Jesus I have been saved.

These Hands

For us women, our hands are one of greatest assets. From caring for our family, wiping away tears, working hard for the money, or crafting away the afternoon...our hands make it happen.

***

My hands are absolutely horrible in the winter. Dry, cracked, itchy. 

This is the best thing I've found for winter hands.

I try to use it every night right before I go to bed. That way my scaly hands can soak in all the vaseline goodness.

Lori from Nitty Gritty Pretty shared a great idea with me... homemade hand scrub! I can't wait to try it.

According to Lori, "The sugar body scrub is so easy. Just put some white sugar in a bowl and slowly add Dawn Hand Renewal Dish Soap with Olay Beauty until you have a nice consistancy. The key is using the Dawn Hand Renewal dish soap. It really makes your hands very, very soft." 

E-How has other great homemade treatments for dry skin.

"Prepare an olive oil bath. Fill a bowl with lukewarm water. Add 4 tbsp olive oil. Soak your hands in the bowl for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse your hands. Pat hands dry until just damp. Apply a light moisturizing lotion."

"Steam your hands. Cover your hands in petroleum jelly. Run hot water in the bathroom sink. Place your hands in the resulting steam and keep them there as long as is comfortable. Rinse and dry hands."

"Wet your hands with water. Shake off the water without drying your hands. Rub honey over your hands. Wait 5 minutes. Rinse under lukewarm water. Pat dry."

*Note, I haven't actually tried these methods, however in the dead of winter, I'll try anything once.

 

On Vacation

For the next week we'll be out of town spending time with family and friends.

I'll be in and out with a few posts here or there.

I know this time of year can be stressful and hectic, but I hope you find a bit of time to reflect on the peace and joy of the season and the miraculous birth of our savior. Thank you God for sending us the ultimate gift, your son.

Merry Christmas!

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Sponsor Giveaway: To Sew With Love

I'm so excited to introduce you to To Sew With Love!

Their blog is full of great crafty ideas 

like this adorable snack bag

and these adorable little owls.

To Sew With Love also features a fabulous Etsy shop, Arcoiris...

and they want to offer one of you a $15 credit!

One lucky reader can use their credit for some fabulous handmade goodies.

Want to win?

Mandatory: visit Arcoiris and let me know your favorite item.

Extra entries

- stop by To Sew With Love and become a follower of their blog

- like To Sew with Love on Facebook

- tweet, blog, or facebook about about the giveaway

Make sure to leave a comment for each.

Winner will be announced Friday December 31.

Packing Up

Since we are taking Jupiter to Ohio with us for Christmas, we thought we should pull out the cage and let her get used to it.

This isn't quite what we had in mind.

 

Isaiah 9:6

Saturday is Crafty Day #27

 I hope you all had a great week! Can you believe it's almost Christmas!

Welcome to another craft-tastic Saturday. Saturdays are the days I look forward to the most. My hubby works and I love having the whole day, just me and kitty, to clean, cook...and craft!

So if you're anything like me and just love to be crafty and creative on the weekend, I'd love it if you linked up! Anything crafty, creative, and original will do...even if you didn't make it on Saturdays. 

And last week we had a record...119 projects

Here are a few favorites from last week...

Handmade felt stockings from Barefeet on the Dashboard

Yarn Trees from The Copy Cat Crafters

Christmas Wreath from Mama Says Sew

Tissue Paper Trees from AliLilly

Minimalist Tree from Can't Stop Making Things

Bunting Ornament from Suger Bee: Craft Edition

What have you been working on?

 

Christmas Shopping and 2 Random Events

Tonight Kyle and I finished our Christmas shopping. That's not really the random part. It was fun to look around the mall and shop for others for a change...something we do not do nearly as often as we should.

The highlight of the shopping experience was these spring loaded chop sticks. Genius.

So yes, Christmas shopping adventure was successful. But part way through the last store I got thirsty...real thirsty. And then I got a hankering for orange juice that just wouldn't go away. 

We finished up shopping for humans then we swung by the pet store and bought a few things for the kitty cat in our life.

But the orange juice craving was still there.

Random 1: We went to the grocery store and bought a carton of OJ and drank it in the parking lot. I was afraid we were going to get pulled over and have to explain to the officer that we were really just drinking orange juice. Virgin screwdrivers if you will.

Random 2: As we drove down the road drinking our orange juice (because all my talk about it gave Kyle the craving too) we decided to visit the magic tree. 

I can't show you the wonderful picture of Kyle and I because he's still keeping his beard a secret. I'll be glad when we can let the cat...err beard out of the bag. 

So magic tree. A local man had been doing this at his house for years but last year the traffic to see the tree was too much. A local business center commissioned his work and now it's available for everyone to see.

It sure was magical!

And a little random.

And I still want orange juice.

 

Book Review: Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers

If you've read any of Francine Rivers' books you know just how hard they are put down. I read this over Thanksgiving and was fighting the urge not to read it while walking through the Detroit airport.

According to Booklist, "Swiss-born Marta Schneider was her Papa’s least favored child, and his abuse pushes her to leave home and achieve great things, first in nearby Interlaken, later in England, then Canada, and finally in California, where she and her German husband, Niclas, settle down to raise their four children in the lull between the two world wars. Niclas is a godly and trusting man with a university degree who nonetheless has a powerful desire to work the soil. So it falls to shrewd and ambitious Marta to protect them all from greedy and unscrupulous folk who would take advantage. Romance Writers of America Hall of Famer Rivers’ eagerly anticipated, first full-length Christian novel since 2003 is an emotionally rich exploration based loosely on her own family history as it follows world events through the first half of the twentieth century. The first in a two-part saga about four women, Rivers’ novel will appeal to readers who enjoy historical fiction and sweeping family sagas with exotic settings. As her compelling characters seek to do what they feel their faith demands, Rivers sets their resonant struggles against dusty streets, windswept Canadian plains, and California vineyards in vivid scenes readers will not soon forget."

Like so many of Rivers' books, I felt such a strong connection with the characters as I read about their acts of faith, relationships, attempts to do right, failure, and the redemption that can only be find through Jesus Christ. Many characters in this book were less than just, but instead of focusing on these negative elements, the story talks about love and grace.

It doesn't quite end happy, though. Thank goodness this is book one is a two-part series. I am eager to get my hands on the second one and, yet again, not be able to put it down.

 

Try Not to be Jealous

Lisa Leonard's front porch is just beautiful. Try not to be jealous of it's amazingness...although I know it's tough.

More on this little cozy spot here.