"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" 2 Corinthians 12:9

Friday, November 4, 2011

Weekly Roundup- November 4th,2011


Another week and more blog goodies, so many clever women and great redo reveals.

Kerryanne @ Shabby Art Boutique created a awesome chalkboard from this old mirror. What a clever use for this.





Vicki @Ranger 911 converted a old cubby cabinet that she found at a antique mall to this. I love this, the soft paint choice sprinkled with the white and touches of black. Awesome!



Jaime@ Crafty Scrappy Happy  converted her master bedroom.  Great use of colors as textures as well as some great furniture re-do’s. 




Tracey @ A comfy Little Place of my own transformed a antique vanity.  Pretty redo!



Anita @ Going a little coastal transformed a old hutch into a beautiful china cabinet.  Another love.



Seeing all these redo’s  is motivating me to get to work on some of my projects….well almost!
Are you working on any projects? 

Hope you have a blessed weekend.


Cindy



2 Corinthians 3:6“He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

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Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Snowy Weekend

 


Wow, what a cold weekend.



Woke up on Saturday morning to SNOW

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332369_10150335417133085_577348084_8299034_1527266796_o

These pics were snapped early in the AM, before any real accumulation.  Although we didn’t get what was called for, which was 5-8” we did get about 3 or so, it was a very heavy snow and with the cold temperatures,it turned to ice….which is far worse than snow.  Right?

But it was a perfect day to put a pot of chili on the stove  to simmer especially when hubby is making it. His chili is sooooooooooo good, with my cornbread.  Perfect meal for a cold blustery day.

chili

And a snuggle on the couch under a blanket with the hubby watching a movie. 

PiratesoftheCaribbean1Poster

Now after movie 1, guess we are going to have to watch 2, 3, 4 before long.


Yesterday I spent the day playing catch up with everything that I let go from the weekend.  My morning will start off my making out a list and having my quiet time.

Hope you had a great weekend and will have a very blessed  Tuesday.

Blessings,

Cindy


Love Christmas, check out my Christmas blog and Country Christmas Facebook page.


Ephesians 1:18“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,”

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Monday, October 31, 2011

Multitude on Mondays

multitudesonmondaysbutton2-142

Today I am sharing my list for “One Thousand Gifts”, it is where you come up with 1000 things that your are thankful for (gifts in your life). It is to help you better recognize just all the little blessings we have each day that we take for granted.

Ann Voskamp has written a book called just that. She also has a lovely and well one-thousand-gifts_thumb3_thumbwritten blog “A Holy Experience” if you aren’t reading you are missing it folks. I love reading her blog, many hours have been spent hours there. And she is the most delightful person to listen too. (No, I haven’t met her personally, but I have watched via vblog her series on the book)

One Thousand Gifts .

170. smells coming from the oven
171. a weekend away with hubby
172. cooler weather
173. changing colors of the leaves
174. pumpkins
175. farmers markets in full swing
176. traveling
177. staying in lovely B and B's.
178. Beautiful praise music
179. A long phone conversation with my mother

180. reconnecting with friends after 20 years
181. sharing memories
182. hubby making his chili
182. snow softly falling from the heavens
183. a heated home, while watching it snow
185. pumpkin bread
186. sipping hot cocoa
186. snuggling with hubby while watching movies
187. sharing time with my son and his wife
188. watching football with my boys
189. praise music
190. praying for others

Hope you have a very blessed week.



Cindy




1 Peter 5:8-9“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Happy Halloween!



Happy


Halloween!







Hope all have a spooky fun time tonight.  Be safe.

Cindy


Deck of Cards


Received this in a email this week, it had been awhile since I had heard it, but wanted to share it for those that hasn’t seen it.  You’ll never look at cards the same again.



It was quiet that day, the guns and the mortars, and land mines for some reason hadn't been heard.
The young soldier knew it was Sunday, the holiest day of the week.
As he was sitting there, he got out an old deck of cards and laid them out across his bunk.
Just then an army sergeant came in and said, 'Why aren't you with the rest of the platoon?'
The soldier replied, 'I thought I would stay behind and spend some time with the Lord.'
The sergeant said, 'Looks to me like you're going to play cards.'
The soldier said, 'No, sir . You see, since we are not allowed to have Bibles or other spiritual books in this country,
I've decided to talk to the Lord by studying this deck of cards.'
The sergeant asked in disbelief, 'How will you do that?'
'You see the Ace, Sergeant? It reminds me that there is only one God.
The Two represents the two parts of the Bible, Old and New Testaments
The Three represents the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost.
The Four stands for the Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John .
The Five is for the five virgins there were ten but only five of them were glorified.
The Six is for the six days it took God to create the Heavens and Earth.
The Seven is for the day God rested after making His Creation.
The Eight is for the family of Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives -- the eight people God spared from the flood that destroyed the Earth.
The Nine is for the lepers that Jesus cleansed of leprosy He cleansed ten, but nine never thanked Him.
The Ten represents the Ten Commandments that God handed down to Moses on tablets made of stone.
The Jack is a reminder of Satan, one of God's first angels, but he got kicked out of heaven for his sly and wicked ways and is now the joker of eternal hell.
The Queen stands for the Virgin Mary.
The King stands for Jesus, for he is the King of all kings.
When I count the dots on all the cards, I come up with 365 total, one for every day of the year.
There are a total of 52 cards in a deck; each is a week - 52 weeks in a year.
The four suits represent the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.
Each suit has thirteen cards -- there are exactly thirteen weeks in a quarter.
So when I want to talk to God and thank Him, I just pull out this old deck of cards and they remind me of all that I have to be thankful for.'
The sergeant just stood there. After a minute, with tears in his eyes and pain in his heart, he said, 'Soldier, can I borrow that deck of cards?'
Please let this be a reminder and take time to pray for all of our soldiers who are being sent away, putting their lives on the line fighting
Prayer for the Military.
Please keep the wheel rolling. It will only take a few seconds of your time, but it'll be worth it to read on....
Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands.
Protect them.
Bless them and their families
I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
Amen


Many blessings,




Cindy


Ephesians 2:8-9“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

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Saturday, October 29, 2011

Ghostly nibbles


I
am always on the lookout for some new idea and fun tip to make our holidays more special around here.  This is something that I have been doing for as long as I can remember.  When my kids were small they never really knew what to expect from me. 

Below are some great little spooktacular
nibbles for either a Halloween party or just for your family on Halloween Day.   




Yummy Mummy Cupcakes

Start with frosted store-bought or homemade cupcakes for this quick and haunting Halloween cupcake.
To make the cupcake, follow these steps:
1. Use a pastry bag with a basket-weave tip to pipe on white frosting.
2. Pipe on red frosting for the mummy's eyes.
3. Make two dots using black frosting for the pupils.



Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes

With such a simple design, these pumpkin cupcakes can be made quickly for any Halloween event on your calendar.
To make the cupcakes, follow these steps:
1. Frost cupcakes with orange frosting and dust with orange sprinkles.
2. Use a wooden skewer to draw pumpkin veins radiating from the center to the outer edge of the cupcakes.
3. Break large pretzel rods into small pieces and stick into the top of the cupcakes for stems.



Moldy Cheese Balls
These green cheese balls look past their prime, but their "mold" is just an herb coating that adds to the flavor. When plated with plastic spiders, they really achieve a gross-out appearance.



Jack-o'-Lantern Cheese Ball

Turn your favorite cheese ball into a total goofball by dressing it up as a playful pumpkin. Roll your prepared cheese ball in crushed nacho-cheese flavored snack chips. Place the cheese ball on a kale-lined platter. Cut a black olive into two triangle-shape pieces for the eyes and press into the cheese ball. Press three olive halves into the cheese ball to form the grin. (You may need to remove chips from these areas so the olives stick.) Place a dill pickle on top for a stem.




Scary Cerebrum
3 pounds frozen cooked medium shrimp (with tails), thawed and drained well
1/4
cup roasted red sweet peppers, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips
1
cup chicken broth
1
teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 1/2
teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
1/4
cup lemon juice
3
tablespoons tomato paste
1
tablespoon honey
3
cloves garlic, minced
1/2
teaspoon salt
1/2
teaspoon ground ginger
1/4
teaspoon cayenne pepper

1.In a 1-1/2-quart glass bowl (3-inches high, 7 1/2-inches in diameter), begin arranging shrimp, tails toward the center, in a circle to make 1 flat layer in the bottom of the bowl. (Only the round backs of the shrimp should be visible from the outside of the bowl.) Repeat layers until bowl is full, pressing down every couple layers. As bowl fills up, tuck strips of the roasted red pepper in and around shrimp forming "blood vessels". (It helps to peer through the sides of glass bowl to adjust as necessary.) When bowl is full, press down firmly with a plate that fits inside the bowl. Set aside.


2.In a small saucepan combine chicken broth and unflavored gelatin; let stand 5 minutes. Cook and stir over medium heat until gelatin has dissolved. Whisk in lemon peel, lemon juice, tomato paste, honey, garlic, salt, ginger, and cayenne pepper until combined. Pour mixture over shrimp in bowl. Cover and chill at least 5 hours or overnight.

3.To unmold, set bowl in a sink filled with warm water for several seconds. Invert a large plate with sides over bowl. Invert plate and bowl together and remove bowl to unmold. Cover and chill until needed (up to 24 hours). Makes 12 appetizer servings.




Mummy Dogs

Cook up some 'dogs for an all-wrapped-up take on finger foods. Refrigerated breadsticks do the legwork. Make the appetizer lighter with cocktail wieners and a pinch of the breadstick dough rather than a full breadstick.



Handy Pretzels

Give new meaning to the concept "finger food" with these Halloween appetizers. Large pretzel sticks resemble useful appendages when the ends are dipped in melted candy coating and topped with a sliced almond "fingernail."



Spooky Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

These luscious jumbo strawberries are then plunged in decadent dark chocolate and half-dipped in creamy orange-colored confection, some are hand-dipped in creamy confection then drizzled with orange-colored confection and dark chocolate and some are hand-dipped in creamy orange-colored confection then finished with a dark-chocolate jack-o-lantern face to give festive flair.

And if you haven’t checked out Sara’s goodies @ Our Best Bites for Halloween, your missin it!

Just some of her yumminess…..but lots more…..



Halloween Cookie Pops



Spider Web Dip




Monster Munch

Beth @ Hungry Happenings created this fun cake and the witch's hat appetizers.


Chocolate Spider Cake



Witch’s Hat Appetizer

You can find these as well as others @ I Share Fun Food .


If you need more ideas, check out more great recipes from Amy @ Living Locurto that she has compiled from around the web. She also offers you a free menu plan.
I really want to try to ALL these recipes.  Is there one here that you would like to try?

Hugs,


Cindy


Photo’s and recipes courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Romans 12:1“[A Living Sacrifice] Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”

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Friday, October 28, 2011

Weekly Roundup - October 28th, 2011


Today’s Weekly Roundup has no theme whatsoever.  Kinda all over the place like I have been lately.  But some fun stuff from all over the web.


Kate’s Mad Scientist Potion


Chris @ Just a Girl created a “spooky” wreath that I really like.



Ericka @ Thrifty and Fabulous creates a mini bulletin in her cabinet. Wonderful idea if your cramped on space.





I’m loving this idea for next year from Bon Appetit .  Definitely something I would like to try for my next large gathering next summer.




Love this idea from AZCentral.  I see many alternatives to this.  I think this would be great for any holiday, use it to house wine or sparkling cider, instead of cranberries, you could use orange slices, apple slices, etc.  basically whatever works for that season.  Love this idea.



Another clever idea, who would have thought of making a grilled cheese in a toaster. 


Grill Cheese Social did.  Take a look.


A great use for those old tee shirts we have.  How adorable is this scarf?  Cathy shows us how to make these at Lakeland Local



A girlie pumpkin from BHG, this just says sweet!  I think this says precious.



Diane @ In My Own Style shows us a great use of space for the craft room.
Wowser!!!!  I’m not sure if I am more impressed with the use of space and all the great organization, or the idea of all those supplies in one space.  Wonderful idea. 



Well these are a  handful of the things that caught my eye while surfing the web this week. 

Well today looks like another gloomy fall day with a wet gloomy weekend in the forecast.  Fall definitely is in full swing here.  Happy Friday!


1 Peter 1:24-25“For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.”

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Hugs,




Cindy




Thursday, October 27, 2011

A Boo Party

Today I wanted to share a couple really cute and simple ideas and treats to throw together for a  fun and scary night  for your little goblins.


Spider suckers



googly eye hot cocoa


witches hat cookies



Pumpkin dip bowl





Decorate a pumpkin with fake mice.  creepy!



Creepy crawly spiders everywhere


Soft eerie glow



Home spun cobwebs over black birds



Creepy Candles


Pumpkin candy bowl




Pumpkin ice cooler





Don’t forget the spiders in your drinks!

Just a few things to get ya started.  Do you usually have a party/get together on Halloween and what are your traditions with your little ones?  I miss Halloween with my children. 

Hugs,

 





Cindy

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Organizing my mind, Are you?


It is ultimately our thinking, more than our outer circumstances, that determines whether we live lives of harmony and peace or pain and despair.  ---- Marianne Williamson


why meI know what some of you are thinking when you see this title.  Yeah right?  How do we do that?  Not really sure but will tell you that there is a lot of that going on with me at the moment.  Do you ever feel like this young lady.  Always feeling overwhelmed.  Me too.  But I have decided to take action and
put a stop to this feeling.




So you ask how am I achieving this?  I am getting proper sleep, at least 7 hours or so a night.

Sleeping Woman
I’m creating my daily morning To Do list

to-do-list-nothing
One thing I am doing in conjunction is making a ongoing list, projects and future projects, and working toward one project at a time to get them accomplished. Focusing on just 15 minutes a day rule is better than “NO minutes a day”.   I also find that when I start with just 15 minutes I tend to go longer.

I might include things like:
Getting rid of clutter, one room at a time, one drawer at a time


Organize closets
Paint a room/or several rooms

Organize my pantry
ETC….


Planning to start a writing journal.  I purchased one, and so plan to write at least weekly, not daily, not putting that pressure on myself, but think it will help to journal some of what is going on with me.
And who knows it might become a daily habit.
writing journal
Another thing I try to do is keep a gratitude list/journal.  Actually I am keeping a list born out of reading Ann Voskamp book “  One Thousand Gifts”. Usually I post my list on Monday’s when I join in with the Multitudes on Monday with others. (Off topic a bit, but wanted to share that this morning I found a wonderful journal that accompanies this book.  It is now on my Christmas list, take a peek it is wonderful!)

I am also limiting myself with TV and computer time.  Doing pretty good with the TV time, still working on the computer time.  

Isolated Computer
A few other things that I am trying to do as well, as make some time for myself, doing something fun everyday that I enjoy and not feeling guilty about it.  Also get in some physical exercise.  Usually it is walking but now that the weather is turning cooler and cold, not sure what form I will take up.



Also, make time during the day, preferably the morning to spend some time in the word.

Bible front view
So how about you?  How are you doing organizing your mind or are you?

HELPFUL TIP: One tip that has helped me is limiting the amount of negativity in my life, whether it be by family, friends, TV, newspaper, etc.

2 Timothy 3:16-17“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

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Cindy