Craft Night - Paper Bag Flowers

When Kristin and I decided on a craft night a week ago, I sat down to figure out what to make. I had plenty of ideas but didn't want to run out and spend a ton of money for this particular one.

I found this fun, crafty idea on Pinterest. Then I discovered all it took were brown paper bags and hot glue. Sign me up! We already had both at our house, and I was set for a fun night of crafting.

The flowers were really simple to make. The tutorial linked above gives good instructions, but I found it was fun to play with the number of petals I put on the flowers. I also put little buds in the middle of each of my flowers instead of leaving them blank. The blog suggests hanging them on the wall with putty, but I hot glued on a little piece of twine to the back of each as a hanger.

I ended up making six and gave my sister two when we visited last weekend.

Kristin and I also decided they would be fun to make with white paper bags for her wedding next August. We may be having another craft night for some white flowers before next August.

Favorites

A gift for Jen

Small, Medium, and Large Flowers

The first Flower

Sweet Thanksgiving Breakfast

This morning's breakfast met all of my expectations. Tyler and I sat down after he got back from duck hunting with his brother, and we ate pumpkin bread and apple crumb cake. The pumpkin bread came from my Mom's friend's store, Green Acres. The apple crumb cake she made yesterday. It was a perfect start to a great day with family and food.

Hope you all are having a day full of blessing, yummy food, and better fellowship.

A Week Without Sweets

Yum.

It has been over a week since I've had dessert, and I'm itching for some. I've been doing a fast from sweets until Thanksgiving Day, but I definitely will enjoy a piece of pumpkin pie on the best day for pumpkin pies of the year. However, since last Sunday, Nov. 11, I have not indulged, even when my husband brought home Swiss Cake Rolls.

When I walked in to see those Cake Rolls on the counter, I was instantly offended. How could he possibly bring home something sweet when he knows I'm fasting from them? Of course, I then realized it's not really a fast when there are no opportunities to say no. It's just going without. A real fast is when the yummy thing you so desire is right in front of you and you still say no. Obviously, I didn't go to Amelie's or Menchie's this past week. It would have been too tempting (flee from temptation, right?), but I did resist Swiss Cake Rolls, Eggnog Cake (it looked amazing, Katy), Ethan's Halloween Candy bucket, and a sweet Reindeer Cookie a little boy I sometimes watch made and offered me today. I felt so bad telling him no but wanted to stick to my guns. I've only got 36 hours left.

This sounds quite silly in the giant spectrum of life, but I love sweets. I could give up salty foods and eat sweets all day long. It's definitely been a week of reminding myself of truth, namely that sweets do not provide lasting comfort to my soul, but only give a momentary glimpse of deliciousness and then land on my thighs.

Look for a piece of something sweet and delicious on my blog either for breakfast or lunch time on Thursday. I cannot wait to see what it will be. But for now, I will dwell on these words from The Valley of Vision:

"Thou hast shown me that
the sensible effusion of divine love in the soul
are superior to and distinct from bodily health,
and that oft-times spiritual comforts are at their highest
when physical well-being is at its lowest." (157)

Let's Be Honest - Thanksgiving

A Cozy Thanksgiving

As the Thanksgiving week jolts into full swing, I'm constantly reminded of everything going on this week. There are the Black Friday sales and emails, food preparation for engorging ourselves on all our favorite comfort foods, family traveling, everyone congregating, memories of past Thanksgivings and the loss of gain or loved ones, Christmas music on the radio, and even the purchase and decoration of a Christmas tree. It's overwhelming to all of our senses if we really stop and think about it.

All of this stuff is definitely part of the season, but I'd hate for it to ruin what I really think, believe, and cherish about Thanksgiving. In all the festivities and preparation (and with Christmas taking over already), I'm so tempted to forget what I'm thankful for each year.  I know a lot of people are doing that Every Day of November Thankfulness thing on Facebook, but I decided against it for a few reasons:

1. I didn't know about it in time
2. I don't want to come up with something just to fulfill the number slot
3. I'll forget.

Instead, I've decided to focus on particular relationships this holiday season. I have so many family members I love but never take the time to get to know. I know that sounds awful and it really is awful. But don't we just do a lot of things alongside our family during Thanksgiving, playing housekeeper and guest, and only focus on the meal being eaten rather than the people around the table?

My goal is to contemplate on the people God has given me, cultivate deep conversations, and pray that all of the food gets cooked on time. You know the whole Mary/Martha thing? I'm definitely a Martha, always doing, doing, doing. I'm preparing, cleaning, trying to be a good housekeeper during holiday seasons and festivities. This year, I want to be Mary and enjoy all of the people and relationships in my life and help cook as well. I just don't want to miss our on my blessings on the one day when we're supposed to really celebrate them.

I'm reminded of Abraham Lincoln's famous Thanksgiving proclamation(p.s. I'm hoping to go see the movie this weekend!):

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union. 

I also usually don't share stuff like this, but I hate Black Friday and cannot stand shopping frenzies. This really encapsulates how I feel about that day (and yes, I know why they call it Black Friday. Do you?):

A Photo Shoot with Family

This past weekend, Tyler, E, and I loaded up and headed to Winston-Salem to visit my sister and her beautiful family.

I took many photos, which will not be featured today. I'm feeling a picture post coming on, which will surely exhibit some of the beauty of Old Salem and our time in Winston.

One of the goals for this trip was to repay Jen and Darren back for paying for our tickets to Brewgrass. We did a little swap. Free tickets to Brewgrass in exchange for Tyler's photography services for little Lee Bee. I think we got the better end of the deal.

We decided to take Lee Bee down to Old Salem because of Christmas decor and great scenery.  Lee Bee is not quite to the posing stage of life, yet. I do believe if we asked her to pose, she would run in the opposite direction. Tyler's method for this photo shoot was, "let her run around and play, and I will get the pictures."

We started off the photo shoot with an extra Christmas hat on and a juice bottle in hand. However, we ended it with lots of playing and Lee Bee warming up to the camera sans juice and hat. Below, I've included a *few* sneak peaks of her. I made sure not to include any of the most spectacular ones, because I don't want to ruin Jen and Darren's Christmas Card. I will post more of them later.

I'm truly amazed at how Tyler captures images so well. Getting the image is dirty work. By the time we left, he was covered in leaves and dirt, had grass stains on his jeans, and had lost his keys twice. I'm thankful we found them and made it home.

E also stood in as Tyler's photographer's assistant. I did nothing but carry around the camera bag and take pictures with my phone.

E, the Photographer

Checking The Shots

Lee Bee, Playing Chase

Christmas Hat and Juice in Hand

Me, Sunset

Photo of Tyler by E

A Book Nerd's Season

Guys, am I really trying to emulate my graduate school days? Look at this pile of books. I'm really trying to read them all at once. When I finally have a few moments to sit down, I think I spend more time deciding which book to read than the time I actually have to read the book. It's getting a little out of hand over here.

The truth is, I no longer go to bookstores anymore because I'm unable to say no to the printed word. I look at a book, smell the fresh inked pages, and desire to take it home in my bag. I want to curl up, snuggle down, and absorb every word in between each cover. The winter season is especially conducive to reading with all of the apple cider, hot tea, and coffee. It's a book worm's paradise.

So I have a moral dilemma. Do I deny myself all books or do I just indulge and buy them? I haven't found the medium-ground in there. I would have thought graduate school would have snuffed out my desire for a word or two. Nope.

The iPod Mini The Could

The Infamous and Survivor iPod.

Yesterday, I decided to go to Starbucks to grade papers for my English 111 class.

I wanted to take some music so I could block out all the conversations I inevitably listen to when in a large crowd of people engaged in relationship and community. I really love going to Starbucks or a coffee shop for this reason. However, at this particular moment, I needed peace and music to grade.

So I went on a search for E's iPod mini for some help. But I couldn't find it in his room. I couldn't find it in his travel bag. I couldn't find it downstairs lying in wait.

Then I remembered. Yes, E had taken his iPod outside during playtime on Tuesday. It was Thursday. It rained all night Wednesday night.

As I walked outside, I knew what I would find. Sure enough, in the grass underneath his favorite climbing tree was the iPod. It was covered in water, not submerged, but definitely wet.

I scooped it up and followed a tried and true method to save electronics: submerge them in rice. I'm actually not sure if this is the best way to save them, but I've heard it from a friend or two. Then I left it, but only for a few hours.

I figured E would learn his lesson about taking care of his nice things. I figured he'd have to save up to buy a new iPod for himself. But, without a doubt, it still works. The ear buds and iPod are completely fine.

48-hours outside. A night-long rainstorm. It's a-ok! If you were thinking about buying an iPod mini, it may be a good investment, especially if you tend to leave things in unsafe places.

Have a great weekend everybody.

For all your engaged girls out there, chickens with bowties is the new rage (Is this real life?).

Trying to decide between the three of these recipes for what to make for Thanksgiving morning...poll?
Pull-Apart Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread with Buttered Rum Glaze
Pumpkin Poppers
Pumpkin & Cream Bread

Fun Christmas Craft Ideas - Holiday Light Boxes and Tablescapes