team player!

I just joined an Etsy team this morning.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can read more about Etsy teams here.  I joined a team called Midwest Street Team.  It is a smattering of artists of varying degrees who live in the "midwest".  I browsed through some of the members (to my surprise, I found a member who I have already made a purchase from and LOVED) and thought I would share some of their items that caught my eye.  Please check out their shops and give them some encouragement.  We Etsians just love that.

PajamaEatersbyKate - Pajama Eater  (I have GOT to get one of these cuties for my daughter.)


IndigoCrochet - Crocheted baby rattle


Vintage Beach Tree Fine Art Photography - HoneybeeDawn.  This shop has some beautiful still life photography that I just couldn't quit thumbing through!  (I wanted to post a picture, but refrained because I wasn't sure the artist would appreciate that....something about copyright laws... :) )

MNPrairieCrafts by Amanda McBrady makes my heart smile.  I desperately wish I could crochet, although then I'm pretty sure my entire house would be wrapped, covered or filled with crochet items of some form.  I couldn't pick just one of her items to post, so please look through the whole shop, it's sure to make your day. So adorable!

And this is an item from one of my already favorite shops who just happens to be a member of this team.  The shop is called Perfect Pendants Plus, and i have been using this item


to create these glass pendant necklaces.  I LOVE them.

 

Happy browsing everyone!!

please pray

I know this blog probably does not have a ton of readers, but I am writing this prayer request anyway.  I know that God hears prayer whether it is prayed by one person or by thousands.  There is a person in my life who is close to the end of her life and she does not know Jesus.  In fact, she refuses to know Jesus.  I am not close with this person, but she is very dear to people that are very dear to me.  People that have prayed and prayed for her and have told her about Jesus numerous times.  Yet she still refuses to acknowledge him. I ask that you pray for a miracle in her heart today.  She may have days left or she may have months, we are uncertain, but I know that without an absolute miracle taking place in her heart, she will spending the rest of eternity in hell.  Please pray for this miracle, that god would find a way to win the battle for her soul before it is too late for her.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A little fun for today....these beauties of mine were featured in this Etsy treasury list yesterday, just in time for Valentine's Day.  It is a gorgeous list and I was more than happy to be included.  Hope everyone gets to spend the day doing what you love with the people you love.

wisdom is priceless

We finished our read-through-the-New-Testament project at the end of last year (or round about since I got behind over Christmas break :) ) and I was feeling kind of guilty that I didn't really have another reading plan lined up.  I should start with this: the beginning of the year is always a rough time of year for me.  I know it's supposed to be all clean slate, fresh start, new goals thinking, but for me it's the dead of winter and I desperately need some warmth and sunshine, I get overwhelmed by feelings that I should have resolutions and goals, but I don't, then I have a quick change of heart and try to restructure a whole bunch of things in my life, only to get overwhelmed by all of that pressure and give up.  I know, it's a vicious cycle and I'm working on it.

 So this year, I am taking it easy, not rushing into any changes or goals, and just letting myself enjoy the time I have with my daughter everyday and letting myself breathe just a little.  I have to admit it feels excellent.  Like, an I could do this all year kind of excellent.  And I decided to take this new attitude and apply it to my Bible reading.  I remember my pastor telling me that whenever he is in between reading plans or studies he reads through the book of Proverbs.  It has excellent and straight to the point directives and instructions for your life that are written in an easy to read and understand format.  Just what I need right now.

I started reading through the book about a week ago and I am surprised at how deep these harmless little verses can penetrate.  I have read so many verses that I think "wow, that's so true!" or "ok, God, I get it." (I won't share all of them).  It's an easy book to read, there are 31 chapters so it's perfect for a monthly reading plan, and the verses are actual instructions on how to live your life.  Who doesn't need that?? I am really enjoying hearing from God in these tiny little Proverbs and I'm only on chapter 12.  I would really recommend reading through this book to anyone, whether you are new to faith or have been a follower of Jesus your whole life.  If you've found yourself in a lull between readings or you're just not sure where to start reading, flip your Bible open to this great little book and hear what your Jesus wants to tell you.....

Chocoholic

Okay, so this is another atypical post for me, but the other night I got a huge craving for ice cream (just like every other night). Then I realized I had just finished off the chocolate syrup. And what good is delicious vanilla ice cream without even deliciouser chocolate syrup?! It was a real dilemma. So my crafty brain went to work thinking there had to be a way to make it, right? So after some consulting with my good friend google, here's what I came up with:

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
Dash salt

Heat water and cocoa in saucepan, stirring until mixed. (This kinda takes a while). Then add in the sugar and stir until dissolved. Heat on medium until it boils, stirring often to keep from boiling over (may need to turn down heat). Boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, add vanilla and salt and let cool until you can pour into an air tight container.

This was delicious!! A culinary win in my book for sure. It tastes just as good and maybe even better than Hersheys. It is a little thinner, but I wonder if it would thicken if you let it boil and reduce a little longer. I will try that next time. Happy chocolate sauce making!!

what's that smell??

Okay this is not going to be a normal post for me.  But, I think it will be one that many can use and learn from, just as I learned.  So here's the story....

I recently purchased a Coach bag second hand.  It is beautiful and will be the perfect not-so-diaper bag for me.  I picked it up, got in my car, opened the plastic bag it was in.....and I about choked.  It REEKED of cigarette smoke.  And that's putting it mildly.  My father and most of my extended family has smoked my entire life, so I'm accustomed to the smell, and it reeked even to me.  It was awful.  My heart sank as I realized I would never be able to put my daughter's belongings in this bag since it smelled so horribly.  

I brought it home and thought about it (and got extremely angry with myself for not asking if it was from a smoke-free home, and angry at the person for not disclosing she was a 5 pack a day smoker.) This bag is the typical Coach fabric with a nylon lining in all the pockets, so the smell permeated every inch of the bag. I tried sealing it in a large Ziploc bag with a couple containers of baking soda, but that didn't do much for this monster odor.  After much thought and internet research (God bless google) I decided I was going to try washing my bag.  And of course, I documented the process.  So here's what I did:

First off, here is a picture of the purse before I did anything to it

Here are the materials I used:

- Fels Naptha soap (found at Walmart in the laundry aisle $1 per bar)

- Soft, clean cloth or rag

- Warm water

- Large tub filled with warm water for rinsing

I soaked the rag in warm water and scrubbed soap onto it.  I used the rag to gently clean every inch of the bag, making sure I pulled out all the pockets and inner lining and scrubbed those too.  I scrubbed all the leather and hardware and the bottom of the bag.  I paid special attention to any visibly soiled areas.  Every mark or stain came out, except for a few ink marks on the inner lining.  

Then I used the tub of hot water to dunk and rinse the soap off the bag.   Then I laid a towel on the floor, placed the bag on it and patted it dry. Here are a few pictures of the bag after it's bath:

Then I laid a towel on my kitchen table, placed the bag on top as open as I could and turned the ceiling fan above the table to high.  I left the bag there for a few hours to dry, checking every so often to adjust so certain areas could dry.

 The bag was visibly cleaner and smelled TONS better!!  I could still smell some of the smokey smell, so I decided to re-wash, using a soap that had a fresh scent to it.  (I used Bath & Body Works white citrus soap). Then repeated all the steps listed above.  This worked wonders and the bag is like brand new!  The washing did not hurt the integrity of the bag at all. I am so glad I took the risk and washed the bag.  And I hope it give you the guts to do the same.  Happy washing. :)

Finished product:

Submit to who now??

I was just reading in Ephesians 5 this morning.  Verses 21-24 talk about wives submitting to your husbands, a topic that I've read about and heard sermons on about a hundred times.  I get it, I know, submit to our husband.  Sure.  Don't let him walk all over you, but respect him, honor him, yadda yadda.  I usually breeze through passages like this because I get it.  It's already sunk in.  But then, in His usual fashion, God spoke to me in a different way through these verses this morning.  Sigh.

Lately I have been having some trouble with control and being right and in charge.  I think it has something to do with the fact that I'm in charge and in control ALL DAY as a stay at home mom.  I call the shots, I decide what we do, I choose the meals, on and on it goes.  So it's hard for me to make the switch when my husband comes home and to let him be the one in control.  I tend to argue over little things he says or pick apart whatever act he did trying to help or I stay stubbornly rooted to whatever I've decided to do or not do without hearing him out or considering his feelings.  Okay, now that I write it all out I sound horrible.  Yikes. Funny how God uses his word to refine you and point out the areas where you are sinning or not following his will for you.


"21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything."

Out of reverence for Christ, I should submit to my husband.  Out of reverence for Christ and how he gave his life to save me, I should submit to my husband.  When you look at it that way, it doesn't seem as though I need to give up my power or my "in charge" hand in order to submit to my husband.  I should submit to him because I love him and I respect him. And because he does so many things every day that save me and our family.  I should submit to him in EVERYTHING, not just the things I am willing to let go of.  He is my husband and Christ is my king.  My prayer is that just as I am learning to let Jesus have control of my life, I should also learn to give my husband control of our home.