Project 365 ~ Week 9

After my busy and full week with lots of kiddos last week, I decided this week I would work on some card projects. This is a card I found unfinished from years ago. I am not sure why I never finished it since it was really rather easy to complete but it's done now.
Mike printed some labels for me and I ended up with 6 blank labels not used on the sheet. We normally put it back through the printer again but I wasn't thinking and I started cutting some of the labels I was going to use. So I couldn't put the paper back through the printer so I decided to make cards and use the labels. I think the cards turned out nice.
I am really trying to use up supplies in my craft room before buying more. I have had this jar of diamond dust (I think that is what it's called) for several years. I never really new how to use it without making a huge mess. I started doing a little experimenting. I found some craft glue I had and I outlined the flower with the glue and then poured the diamond dust all over it. I thought it looked good but I wanted to see what it would like cover the entire flower with glue and diamond dust. So I grabbed a paint brush and made another card, spreading the glue all over the flower.

Which card do you like better? The outline version or the complete image covered?

Last month we received a wedding invite for the son of a former pastor of ours. We aren't going to be able to go to the wedding but I did want to make sure that we got a card and gift sent to them. I actually took the invitation and created a wedding card to match. The background paper and ribbon on this card are from the original wedding card. Now I need to get a gift card and get this card out to them.
I had an extra piece of the background so I decided to make an Easter card to give to Mike.
Friday I was back with the kiddos and we had an extra little one. She was a bundle of joy.

Time to read how everyone's week went...heading over to Sara's blog.

God is Good

Praise
I got a call from my sister today who shared some wonderful news with me. My brother in law was offered a job. He got let go from his company last month. It is somewhat bitter sweet for me. Although I was praying for Paul to get a job, my desire was that he would find a job in SC so they would be closer to family. I am very thankful that it only took around a month for this job to open up for him.

Prayer
I have a very important prayer request. It is a legal issue my friend is going through so I can't give you any details but please pray for this unspoken request.

Swagbucks

Do you Google? If you already search for things on the Internet, you might as well get rewarded.

I have some really exciting news for you. Swagbucks is celebrating their 2nd birthday. If you don't know what Swagbucks is all about, I suggest you sign up (it's free) and find out for yourself. It really is NOT too-good-to-be-true. It's NOT a gimmick. You really DO get "paid" to use the Swagbucks search engine.

I joined swag bucks several months ago because I wanted to earn some gift cards. Since then I have received 2 $15 iTunes gift cards. I am already at 1200+ bucks which is well on my way to shopping at the SwagBucks store soon.

This is how it works:

Sign up and register at Swagbucks.

Install the search box by downloading the Swagbucks Plugin (replace your Google search since they don't pay you to search).

Then you search.

At random, Swagbucks will reward you with a Swagbuck for using their search engine. On Fridays they have Mega Swagbucks Day and you can win as much as 100 to 500 Swagbucks.

Once you have enough Swagbucks, you can trade them in at the Swagbucks Store to receive e-Gift Cards to various stores. It's that easy.

What are you waiting for?!

Random Dozen #7

1. Have you ever fired a gun or shot a bow and arrow? Last year I shot Mike's shotgun a few times
2. Do you know where your childhood best friends are? no... I have lost contact with all of them
3. Do you usually arrive early, late, or on time? early... always early
4. Are you more of a New York or California type? I guess if I have to choose between the two, I would say New York
5. Do you have a special ring tone? no... I just got a new iPhone, so I am still trying to set everything up... any suggestions on ring tones?
6. What is your favorite type of chip? kettle fried... sweet BBQ
7. Best comedy you've ever seen is .... I can't believe it but I can't think of any
8. Have you ever cut your own hair? To quote Dr. Phil, "How'd that work for ya?" yes, I trim my own bangs when they get really bad... I don't do a perfect job but it gets the hair out of my eyes and that is all that matters.
9. If you were going to have an extreme makeover, would you rather it be about your house or your personal self? house...who cares what I look like
10. Are you allergic to anything? cats
11. Why is it so hard to change? habits are hard to break
12. One last question dedicated to February love: CS Lewis said, "To love is to be vulnerable." Please share one example of that assertion or share any thought you'd like to about this topic. To truly love someone you have to be yourself, truly honest which is a really hard and scary thing to do because it does leave you very vulnerable to get hurt.

I missed Random Dozen the last few weeks but I am back now. Be sure to head over to Linda from 2nd Cup of Coffee to check out the answers from other participants.

Judge Not

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

'And why is everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

JUDGE NOT!!

Remember...Just going to church doesn't make you a
Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

Every saint has a PAST...
Every sinner has a FUTURE!
Now it's your turn... Share this poem.

Project 365 ~ Week 8

Sorry for being MIA this past week. I guess I should have warned all my readers (whomever you may be) that I was going to be away from my computer all week. Although I was super busy, I was able to take tons of pictures.

I was at a friends house all week watching her little ones. It was loads of fun but not being use to having children 24-7 really tired me out. I have a new appreciation for my friend. She has done an awesome job training the children to obey...obey the first time... and obey with a happy heart. She is amazing!

Climbing the bunk beds like monkeys Wrestling

Aren't they adorable?

You can tell by her messy hair just how much fun they had jumping on a stack of mattresses

One day the guns came out and they had a blast with them

They have great imaginations!

I don't know what this face was all about but I had to share the picture... it just makes me laugh!

Mike bought me an iPhone for Valentine's day... he found it on Craigslist and we picked it up on Saturday

We went to Kroger today and got some wonderful deals... I saved $75.38 and paid a total of $17.52 out of pocket

Today we did a crazy thing and let the chickens out of their fenced in area. My grandpa told us a while ago that if we let them out a few hours before the sun goes down, they can roam free and enjoy fresh grass and once the sun goes down they will go roost in the hen house for the night. Sure enough we let them out around 3:30pm and by 6:45 they were all in the hen house ready for bed time.
Hope everyone had a fabulous week. Now head on over to Sara's blog to read what others have been up to. Have a blessed week!

John 3:16

I borrowed this from Allison, one of my bloggy friends. I was going to post this exact verse emphasising Valentine but I just had mine typed out. When I saw her cute picture I decided I wanted to "steal" hers. Thanks so much Allison!

Project 365 ~ Week 7

Sunday

Monday
I found a stack of unfinished cards in my craft room and as mentioned in my Goals for 2010 I want to focus on completing projects. I am very happy to report these cards are done. I guess I am really early for next year.

Tuesday

The cold or flu or something horrible is going around at church. Mike got some alittle sick but I kept us both on GSE and I am so happy that he was only sick for a day or two and I have been able to stay healthy. This stuff works great!

Wednesday

I am so ashamed to admit that I don't dust my Precious Moments and I have lots of them around the house. I was doing my weekly cleaning and I got a sudden burst of energy so I decided to clean my Precious Moments figurines. I took a picture with the figurine on the shelf and you really couldn't see how bad the dust was but then I removed the figurines and oh my goodness... do you see the pile of dust? How embarrassing....
All my Precious Moments got baths and my shelves got dusted and everything is back in its rightful place.

Thursday

This was my last week of Bible study... we finished going through Stepping Up and it was am excellent study. God is showing me alot of areas of my life that I need to work out and work through. My eyes have been opened and I have been challenged and I thank God for that! Sadly we said goodbye to Barbra... our Bible study leader... but I hope to keep in touch with her by email and I will definitely be praying for her.

Friday
Snow started falling around two in the afternoon and in no time at all we had a winter wonderland.

Saturday

I wasn't going to do anything for Valentine's day but, at the last minute, after reading lots of blogs with great frugal tips, I decided I wanted to decorate alittle and show Mike how much I love him. I was surprised to discover that everything I needed to make this cute "I Love You" banner was sitting in my craft room. I also made a few other things but they didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. So for now, I will share my banner with you all.

May you all have a fabulous Valentine's Day! Don't forget, as time permits, check out how everyone else's week turned out, head over to Sara's blog.

My Valentine

Jesus, please be my Valentine!

You make my life complete.

I can take my cares to You

and lay them at Your feet.

You give to me the blessings

that I cannot live without.

This is the kind of love that

Valentine's Day is about!

Just A Little Talk With Jesus

I love listening to men's quartets... there is just something about their voices blending together that sound so awesome...especially singing acapella!

Thanks to Amy @ Signs, Miracles, Wonders for hosting Then Sings My Soul Saturdays. Now go check out her blog and all the other participants.

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Pickles _____________.
2. _________ at home.
3. The snow is __________.
4. _____________ in nature.
5. It's 5:16 PM; that means ______________.
6. ________ is hard to find.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____!

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I decided to join in on the fun with Friday Fill-Ins... hope everyone is having an awesome Friday!

1. Pickles are delicious but only when I am in the mood for them.
2. I know my place is at home.
3. The snow is coming down as I type this sentence.
4. I see God's love and beauty in nature.
5. It's 5:16 PM; that means its time to get dinner started.
6. Food that is healthy, delicious and cheap is hard to find.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going out to watch a movie, tomorrow my plans include grocery shopping and Sunday, I want to rest!

Spicy Nut Mix

2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 large egg whites
1-1/2 cup pecan pieces
1-1/2 cup walnut pieces
1-1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup granular sugar substitute

Preheat over to 225 degrees. In a small bowl, add first 6 ingredients and blend. In a large bowl, whisk egg whites until foamy. Whisk in spice mixture. Add nuts and sugar substitute; toss to coat.

Evenly divide nut mixture between two nonstick baking sheets, preferably with sides. (If sheets are not nonstick, line them with parchment paper.) Spread nuts to evenly cover sheets. Bake 1 hour 5 minutes until nuts are dry and toasted. Stir every 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheet.

Serves 20

Random Dozen #6

1. Are you pleasant when you're ill, or are you a grumpy, fussy patient? I wouldn't call myself grumpy, fussy but I don't think pleasant is the right word either. I would call me a loner... when I am sick I just want to lay in bed and sleep... be left alone... and not talk to anyone.
2. When you find out that school is canceled (due to inclement weather) what is your gut reaction? it really doesn't bother me at all... actually I don't even know when school gets canceled.... we don't have children... and we don't have to drive to work so it really doesn't affect us at all.
3. What is one domestic skill you wish you could improve? sewing... I would love to learn how to sew!
4. Do you decorate your home for Valentine's Day? no... but I have seen cute decorations on some blogs recently...
5. What song is on your mind today? A Mighty Fortress
6. Do you prefer contemporary movies or classic? the classics are so much better!
7. How well do you "compartmentalize" your feelings? It really depends on the situation...
8. What is the first thing that attracted you to your spouse? his bold yet gentle spirit
9. When was the last time your heart raced? this afternoon when I was walking up the stairs... I am SO out of shape!
10. What are your memories of Valentine's Day at school? not much really... I don't think Valentine's Day was a big deal at school... except in high school with all the boyfriend/girlfriend relationships
11. If you were going to receive candy for Valentine's Day, which would you prefer? Lindt - Lindor Truffles
12. Red or pink? I say ... Red AND Pink... they make a great color combination

I'm participating in the Random Dozen hosted by Linda from 2nd Cup of Coffee ...go check out what others had to say!

Aprons

My friend Elaine sent me this in an email and I just had to share it with all of you. I don't know about you, but I don't think anyone can have too many aprons. I love my aprons!

The History of Aprons

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath,because she only had a few,it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.

After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the menfolks knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

Menu Plan Monday

Now that I have a bunch of food in the freezer I thought I better get myself organized and make a menu for this week. I don't like to plan out every meal per day. Instead I want to have a list of ideas of meals I can prepare this week.

So here goes:

Black bean & corn quesadilla

Hot dogs, chips & celery sticks

Mike's favorite sandwich and veggies

Bakes Salmon and mixed veggies

Chili and crackers

Chef salad

Chicken nuggets and carrots

Sausage & lentil soup

Grilled pork chops and veggies

Project 365 ~ Week 6

Sunday

I couldn't resist, I had to make some smores! As you can see, I like my marshmallows burnt :-)

Monday
Somewhat at the last minute, I decided to join the Freezer Cooking Day.

Tuesday

So for two days I stayed real busy in the kitchen.

Wednesday

All I can say is... we were at the right place, at the right time because we got all these yummy goodies for free.

Thursday
At Bible study they asked Audrey to play a song on the piano. It was beautiful...she is very talented!Friday
We had several cold nights this week so we have really enjoyed our fireplace! Saturday
Betsy was so cute...she was mesmerized by the fire...she just kept staring at it

Now I am heading over to Sara's blog to see how everyone else's week went.