Inspiration Monday: My Future Daughter's Room

I have plans.  Oh, I have plans.  Frequently God likes to toss my plans in a big old salad, but I still have plans.  I like when His plans and my plans are the same plans.  Those are the best.  Like with Hband. :) 


I am NOT pregnant and hope to not be for quite some time.  And even when I am, I kind of hope to have a boy first, just so other kids we have can have a protective older brother; something I always had wanted.  Not like I can control any of that.  But anyway... I just think girls' rooms are adorable.  So if I ever have one, here's some inspiration for what I want her room to look like:

She would have awesome bed curtains like this, only maybe ruffly and definitely a different color.

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This bunting bedding would be beyond cute. 

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How adorable would this be on the walls?  Or as throw pillows? 

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But this on the walls or as throw pillows is pretty cute too.  I love these colors. 

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Have you seen these Dutch doors?  I think they're awesome, and perfect for a kid's room.  Plus she'll have a window seat, too.  Naturally. 

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This graphic is fun and all the write colors.  Maybe it will go on her wall. 

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Then again this hot air balloon print is kind of perfect. 

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Oh ruffled curtains.  I love you and you will be in my daughter's room. 

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And ruffled pillows.  You will be there too. 

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A rug like this, maybe? 

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So here's to someday. :)

xoxo, A

Photo Saturday: The "Last Hurrah": Key West

Way back before Bestie and Bestie Jr. got married, we planned a "Last Hurrah;" it was supposed to be a getaway for three sisters/besties before any permanent boys came to stay in our lives.  Little did we know, we'd use any and every excuse to have many more "last hurrahs."  Because really, why not?

But this, I think, was the best of them all.  We took a road trip to Key West.  I'd go back in a second.  I've never seen water so...turquoise.  I've never been closer to Cuba (90 miles!).  I've never seen so many wild roosters.  I've never felt so tropical/free/pampered.  It was, quite simply, divine.

We stayed at the Southernmost Hotel, in a room that opened up to look right at that gorgeous water.  And hammocks.  There were hammocks, glorious hammocks, in which I took sunshine-drenched naps, and in which Bestie Jr. and I cackled and ate key lime pie.  We rented bikes when our snorkeling adventure was cancelled (waters too rough-- it made for a delicious breeze!), and we found other kinds of adventures.  We ate some pretty fantastic food, and had an all-around, typical hen party for the three of us.

And I tried a margarita at Jimmy Buffet's Maragritaville.  I took four sips and called it a night.  SO.  GROSS.  But it was fun to watch middle-aged men and women dance, anyway.  We also pretended the gay parade didn't happen.  But it did.

Also, never had we been hit on quite so much as walking down the streets of Key West.  Just saying: Ego Boost.

Enjoy.

xoxo, A

DIY Friday: Heat-Resistant Hair Straightener Cozy

I am the kind of girl who will pack for a trip a day or so ahead of time.  It's one part excitement and one part control-freak that causes me to do that.  But on my bathroom counter, I always leave the few items I'll need to use before packing in the morning.  One of those things is always my straightener.  I have curly, frizzy hair.  I need that puppy for my bangs and flyaways.  Without it, there is chaos.  With it, there is hair harmony.  Yet, I'm always delayed in leaving the next day or in peril of forgetting this precious styling tool, because I don't want to throw it in my bag and have it melt my favorite shoes or burn my favorite pair of underwear.  Don't laugh-- you know you have that favorite pair you wear when you're feeling good.

So when I saw this tutorial for straightener cozy on Pinterest, I knew I had to make it.  This seemed like the simplest tutorial (there are several, so look around if you want something more challenging).  Now, I can sew, technically speaking.  I know how to thread it all up, make the machine go, and sew fabric together and have it not unravel.  But what I can't do, and the reason I don't sew very often, is troubleshoot when something goes wrong, and/or hold it together when I can't figure out what the heck is wrong with my machine.  I lack patience, essentially. 

I don't really think I overestimated my sewing abilities when I attempted this project.  I really think I could have done it expertly if I had been a little more patient and my machine hadn't been finicky/weird.  But, I did make the cozy.  And another one for my curling iron.  Mine were done cheaply and quickly (I finished both in about an hour).  So here's my version-- the ghetto version-- in case you're interested.  If you want a classy one, be sure your machine works and you are patient, then follow the tutorial.  I've been known to deviate from a tutorial when I think I know how to do it faster.  So that's why mine turned out more ghetto.  I mean, they look fine from far away-- basic, but fine.  But up close?  Well, let me just ask you to not look at them up close, OK?

Supplies:

• Oven mitt-- I bought a bulky one from the Dollar Tree for $1.  I'd suggest a thinner one that's not actually a mitt, but a square.
• Fabric-- your choice.  I used quilting-type cotton fabric I had leftover from Bestie Jr.'s baby shower.
• Thread
• Needle
• Fabric Scissors
• Pins
• Sewing Machine (technically optional)

Basically, both cozies cost me $1 to make, as I made them out of one oven mitt and used fabric I already had.  Can't beat that.

I apologize for the lack of pictures during these steps.  I don't think you should necessarily follow my directions-- check the original.  This is just for the ghetto version or if you want to know how my brain works.  Wait, why would you want to know that; that's weird.

First, I put my straightener on the oven mitt and eyeballed how big the cozy should be.  I wanted a tight fit.  I cut out the size I wanted out of the mitt, giving me two pieces of heat-resistant material.  I ripped the original fabric off the mitt and then just had the quilted batting left.  Well, one side ripped off.  The other was fused to the batting, so I left it.  Oh well. 

Maybe if you have an awesome sewing machine, you can sew through the thick heat-resistant fabric.  But I don't.  So I hand-sewed the two pieces together, leaving one small size open, through which my straightener will go.

Then place your little pocket on your fabric (inside out fabric-- have the inside facing up), and cut out the fabric, leaving about an inch on every side.  I then pinned the fabric together around the pocket (again, inside of the fabric facing up), as close to the pocket as possible without pinning it to the pocket.  I then pulled out the pocket, leaving me with a fabric pocket now.

I used my machine to sew up the sides with the pins.  Here is where my machine had a conniption.  I don't know why it hated me, but it did.  I had to really soothe it before it would help me out.  Then I trimmed the excess fabric and thread, and turned the pocket out so now it had the pretty side of the fabric up, and it was a perfect pocket. 

Stuff your insulated pocket inside the fabric pocket.  Fold the excess top fabric inside, and then I hand-sewed it to the insulation, finishing the top.  And done.

I did the same for the curling iron, as well.  My version leaves the cords free, but that wasn't my concern-- I just didn't want it melting anything.

It's functional and kind of cute (in a plain kind of way) from far away.  And oh-so-cheap.  Maybe one day I'll attempt this the right way.  But until then, there you go.  Why don't you try your hand at it?


PS: don't judge my old, crappy straightener.

xoxo, A

Thoughts for Thursday: My Epitaph

Not to be dark and dreary, but have you ever thought about what you'd have written on your tombstone?  When I was little, because of Halloween decorations I used to think that every tombstone had to say how that person died.  So, being a klutzy child, I was afraid I'd die in an embarrassing way, and then it would be recorded for the rest of Earth's days.  Maybe something like:

"Here lies Amanda.  She died of asphyxiation on the toilet."  or "RIP Amanda.  She rolled her ankle one too many times, and this time into traffic."

I don't know why I thought that.  What got me thinking unseasonably about epitaphs was a chapter I read in Slave by John MacArthur.  I'm going through the book with a dear friend (we've gone through many, and each one kicks our butts!), and we were reading about John Newton, the runaway/slave trader turned minister/song writer.  Think you don't know who he is?  Think again; if you've ever sung "Amazing Grace," you've sung one of his hymns.  His live was a powerful example of God's sovereign plan and grace, and if you haven't read about him, I encourage you to do so.  According to the book, his epitaph read like so:

JOHN NEWTON, Clerk

once an Infidel and Libertine,

a Servant of Slaves in Africa,

was, by the rich mercy

of our Lord and Saviour

JESUS CHRIST,

preserved, restored, pardoned,

and appointed to preach the faith

he had long laboured to destroy

Beautiful, isn't it?  But so humble and so rich in truth.  It made me think about what I'd want etched on my tombstone.  Nothing about just me, because anything I am or have is due to Christ.  I'd like it to be a final, permanent testimony to Jesus' sacrifice and work in my life; a way for me tell others about salvation from "beyond the grave."  Well at least, quite literally, from the grave.  And if that's what I want my tombstone to say, I'd better make sure I'm living that now. 

Perhaps this is too dark for a Thursday, but I think it's important.  It's important to think about what kind of legacy we want to leave-- not just what we etch in stone, but what we leave behind as memories of our conduct, as testimonies to our God.  I hope mine is something a little like Newton's.  What about you?

xoxo, A

Recipe Wednesday: Easy Pantry Trifle

Holy. Cow.  Girl (or Boy, I guess), you have got to make this.  It's so easy.  It's a pantry-cleaner and a crowd-pleaser.  Plus, you have the option to make it very low-calorie!

And never, in my experience, has something so easy looked so good.  So slaved-over.  So June Cleaveresque.

I call this the "Easy Pantry Trifle" because truly, it's SO easy (I set it all up the night before and then assembled it in like, 2 minutes the next day), and you literally can mix and match flavors of whatever's in your pantry.  And it's a trifle because, um, well, that's what it is.

Here's what I used:
1 package of cook and serve chocolate pudding (you could just as easily do instant and any flavor; even the sugar-free, low-calorie ones work)
1 boxed mix of Devil's Food Cake, prepared as directed and baked in a 9"x13" pan (you could easily pick up a pre-made pound cake or angel food cake-- bonus-- angel food cake is low in calories!)
1 big package lite cool whip (again, any kind would work here)
3/4 box of Nilla Wafers, crushed (any kind of cookie would work)

The night before, I baked the cake and set it aside, covered.  Then I made the pudding, covered it, and refrigerated it.  I put the cookies in a Ziplock bag and crushed them with a rolling pin, then set them in the fridge with the pudding.  Why?  I don't know why.  I also took the cool whip out of the freezer and thawed it in the fridge.  I only had the smaller package of cool whip, but I would definitely say go for the big one.  That stuff is GOOD.

The next day, as dinner cooked, I cut the cake into about 1" cubes, which was easy to do since I wasn't cutting it when it was piping hot, as I usually do (I know, shame on me).  I first put down a layer of the cake cubes, all around the bottom of the trifle bowl.  Empty spaces are OK if they aren't huge.  Then I spooned a layer of pudding, making sure it seeped between the cracks in the cake cubes.  Then I added a cool whip layer, then topped that with a crumb layer.  I continued this pattern again, and then I was out of room.  So I put one more layer of cake cubes around the outside, this time not filling in the center, then poured the rest of the crumbs into the center of the top.  I covered it with plastic wrap and refrigerated it.

It got Hband's approval, and it looked impressive, what with the layers and all.

By the way, I had about 1/4 of the cake left over, so you can use that for mini-trifles if you have mini-trifle bowls, or just eat the cubes and feed them to your husband who is laying on his recliner watching TV, like I did.

Here's what's great about this dessert though, besides the fact that it is DELICIOUS: I just made it up, the night before, with whatever I had.  I was like, Hey, I have pudding.  And cake mix.  And cool whip.  And what cookies do I have?  Mint Oreos and Nilla Wafers.  "Hey Mike!  Which cookie crumbs do you want on the trifle-- mint Oreos or Nilla Wafers?"  "NILLA WAFERS!"  "OK then."

And that was that.

Here were some other ideas of flavor combos you could try:

Low-calorie: use lite cool whip and sugar free vanilla pudding, and angel food cake.  Add berries, too!

Decadent: use devil's food cake or brownies, cool whip, and dark chocolate pudding.  Add caramel sauce and Heath bar pieces or Reese's, crumbled, and Oreo crumbs.  WOW.

Sundae: use cool whip, any kind of cake, and vanilla pudding.  Add hot fudge, bananas, crushed peanuts, and those delicious cherries I can't spell!

Nutty: use pound cake or angel food cake and pistachio pudding, with cool whip.  Add crushed pistachios for crunch.

OMG: try brownies, chocolate, or vanilla cake, with cool whip and chocolate pudding and NUTELLA.  Yes, Nutella.  Crush up some of those hazelnut candies-- Rocher?  Is that what they're called?

S'mores: use chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, marshmallow fluff, and graham cracker crumbs. 

Just think of all the combos!  It's practically endless, with all the cookie choices!  What combo would you try?

xoxo, A

Tip for Tuesday: 'Twas the Night Before...

This tip is probably used by all of you, especially moms, but just in case you don't do this, let me encourage you to do something that will make your day start off smoothly and therefore influence the rest of your day for the positive.  I find that if I don't do this, my morning is rushed, I get in a bad mood, and before I realize it, I'm having to repent for a bad attitude.

So here's the tip: get your entire day ready the night before.

Food:
I put out a Belvita package or a baggie of muffins or whatever to remind me to bring it with us to work (Mike likes to eat later after he fully wakes up).
I set up the coffee maker the night before, for it to brew about 15 minutes before we leave.  Then we can put it in a travel mug and take it to go (for Mike... I can't stomach coffee.  Blech!).
I make the lunches the day before and put them in the fridge.  It's grab and go.
Sometimes I even take out non-perishable ingredients the night before, and the pans I need for dinner and place them by the stove.  That way, as soon as I come home from work, I am ready to get dinner going!  This won't really work if you stay home all day, but for workdays, it's helpful.

Clothes:
I set out all of my clothes for the night before, including undergarments and jewelry.  This means that in the morning, I don't stand in front of my closet for 15 minutes, trying to decide what to wear.  Again, it's grab and go.
Make sure all random articles of clothing are already in the hamper.  It makes laundry the next day a piece of cake, because you don't have to go hunting for dirty laundry, smelling all sorts of suspicious garments.

Work:
Anything you need to take to work, put by your purse in the morning.  Your head is probably too groggy in the morning to remember, so when your head is clearer at night, put it all by your purse.  I've been known to have a huge pile by my purse, because I'm forgetful.
If you have letters to mail, or little errands to run that day, also pile those by your purse.  You can pop them in your car, so when you get back in after work, you'll remember all your errands.

List:
At night, make a quick list of everything that needs to be done that day, and place it either on your purse or in a prominent location for when you come home.  Then you won't have to keep it in your mind, consult your calendar, or forget as soon as you come home.

I know this seems obvious, but if you do all this at night (takes maybe a half hour total), it will shave off lots of minutes in the morning (either giving you more time to sleep, or make sure you're not late to work), will clear your head and help eliminate those stressful panic moments or forgetfulness.

Sometimes I've even thought of more things I needed at work or needed to put on my list, once I'd closed my eyes to try to sleep.  So I pop out of bed and do it THEN, because I know my mind in the morning.  I'm only thinking of two things: I wish I was back in bed, and I wish it were Saturday.

If you haven't started the "night before" habit, do it... you'll notice a difference!

xoxo, A

Inspiration Monday: April in Paris

In my mind, April in Paris sounds incredibly lovely and romantic.  And these are the things that lend to that mental picture.  Enjoy!

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xoxo, A

hiatus

I'd rather spend time with my husband than blog today.  So there is a brief hiatus here.  Sorry.


xoxo, A

Photo Saturday: Emma, Part 2

Hopefully you're not tired of baby pics... because here are some more, from the baby photo shoot! :)  She wasn't even a week old, and she was so perfectly behaved!  There are some missing, because there are some specially picked for the birth announcements!  Can't wait for those!


Enjoy this little miracle, this blessing from God. :)

xoxo, A