Thursday, February 28, 2013

Cara Box Reveal! :)

OH! So excited!!  I came to work today after taking yesterday off to help Mom with a sick Katie and wide open Macy.  (Katie and I visited the ER on Tuesday night because she was in one heck of a mess with blisters in her throat. STREP! Three shots, two bills and a barf bag later, we made it back home at 2ish a.m.  Poor thing is sick as a dog.)   
Cara Box

So, when I came in this morning and found a box on my desk I was THRILLED! My Cara Box had arrived from Kelly at Honor Courage Commitment  - my Cara Box partner this month.  I'll admit that I just ripped right into it and didn't take any pictures... like, I had to go back and stage some pictures I was so dang excited. (sorry!) 

Kelly was SO NICE about the fact she was stuck with a single gal for a #clubsexy create the perfect date themed Cara Box. I immediately felt awkward and I was afraid she would, too.  But nope, she was totally cool to create a single gal "date night" and made an awesome box!  

The card was beautiful, so South Carolina which is A.W.E.S.O.M.E! I adore our state flag so that tickled me to see it.  Then, the gifts - a huge lavender candle, so yummy smelling, lavish coconut & hibiscus shea butter soap, Ghirardelli chocolate squares and Hershey's Raspberry Hugs. Oh my, I had some for breakfast, which is why you have no cute pics of the packaging. Sorry again! 


My state rocks.
Hot bath & candle, YES!

















Oh-La-La Soap!
Chocolate. Need I say more?














Breakfast of Champions. :) 

Thanks for making me feel special on a day that started out very crappy! I'm so happy to have chocolate to help me survive this day. Thanks Kelly, you totally rocked it! :)  

And I made a box for my partner, Anna, over at The Things I'm Learning, for her and her new hubby of only 4-5 months, Kevin!  You can see it here!

Want to learn more about Cara Box? Click here

Monday, February 25, 2013

Happy Birthday, Sweet Niece!



Sweet niece number one turned 11 this weekend... 11! How could this be! AH came into our family when she was 7-years-old and my she has grown. I'm so proud of her; she's smart, funny, quick-witted and pretty.

Photos above:
1). AH's tie dye cake! Another Pintrest inspiration successfully executed!
2). The cool tie dye icing
3). The family shot
4). Top view of the cake before stacking and icing. Can you tell we are proud of how it turned out?
5). The birthday girl!!
6). Her gift, a jar filed with pink rice. Her presents are hidden inside!
7). Birthday girl and another gift, a ruffle scarf.

I think she really enjoyed her birthday. We are so thankful to have her as part of our family! She adds lots of energy and pizzaz! :)

And because today is Monday!... Here is Muffin!



So thrilled to have me home sick two days this past week. Ha!

Happy week, everyone!

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Why Am I Awake?

I'm sprawled out on the couch watching the Oscars, as if I care who wins what. I don't even know the majority of the actors, movies, etc! So why am I still sitting here instead of sleeping?

The only thing I can figure is
1) I have slept for three days straight. 11 hours a night and another 5+ hours during the day. This cold had kicked my butt.

2) I love tweeting about it as if I knew what I was talking about. Hee hee.

So here I am, watching these same four or so movies being cheered for over and over.

And I must be bored because I keep coming back to this one thought: I bet these people don't have to battle lady bugs in their houses...

Friday, February 22, 2013

Friday's Letter

Dear nasty cold, please remove me from your evil clutches. I feel like poo, isn't that enough for you?



Dear Ultra Soft Kleenex, you are my friend. I adore you and my nose does, too.



Dear weird tree, you are being shipped to my Cara Box partner this month. I struggled with the theme this month, so I hope she likes it.



Dear Macy, I am missing you, sweet girl. But I can't risk giving this to you. :( I must get welk quick I'm having withdrawals.



Dear peeps, aka YOU, I know so many people struggling, as we all do at some time in life. Please share your favorite Bible verse below that may help someone get over the hump. Mine is above. Thank you!

Go link up at sweet season!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

S-i-c-k

Ya'll, I'm one sick southern girl. My face hurts, my eyes water, my nose is beyond nasty. I sneeze, I cough, I sleep lots and I can't taste or smell anything. I have shivers off and on and have walked around with tissue shoved up my nose part of the day. It's just easier.

I'm short, I feel like poo.

And I may have cracked a tooth. But I'm not sure if that's why my teeth hurt because that entire side of my face hurts.

Do you feel bad for me yet? I hope so. I need pity. :)

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Creating Confidence!

When my friend, Paulene, mentioned to me making a scrapbook for her running bibs, I cringed. I know nothing of running. I know nothing of races.  And I avoid the thoughts of working out. I put it off. Then I got busy. Busier, and busy and then I ran of out excuses. This book needed to be made and it needed to be NOW.

Cupid's Chase
I asked for her list of races. I asked for standard measurements for racing bibs.  I hemmed and hawed, I sweated over what this should look like.  How many pictures, how many vertical, what does a person want to record about a race...

Turtle Trot
 And when I finally started piecing it together, and figuring out how it would look, and assembling it page by page, I finally felt like it was coming together! (Turtle Trot, how cute is that for a race?!)

Race to the Rock
 It started coming together faster and the themes of each race seemed to work out with what I had! The Clemson colors, the color bombs for Color Me Rad, pinks for the Breast Cancer run... it just worked out!

Race in to the Pink
 I discovered that as my friend experienced a confidence boost last year when she started her quest with running, I received my own confidence boost through creating this book for her successes!

Irmo Dam
 All through the year, she posted inspirational quotes and motivational images that encouraged her and all her followers as she went on this journey.

Color Me Rad
So I added those on every page, and guess what?! I had images to match every page! Either the colors, or the message, or image - it was kinda crazy how well it worked out!

Thunder Road
I can't tell you how excited I was when it was complete.  I looked at it and felt good about the work I had done.  I crossed my fingers she would love it, too. Because it was more than just a book. It was a door opening inside of me, showing me that I COULD take on a major project. But only if I actually START it!

Girls on the Run Race
She loved it.  LOVED IT! She became emotional over it and that meant the world to me. Sharing something special with someone you care so much about, that's just beyond totally awesome. :) So Now I'm flying high from the new knowledge I have of myself AND the fact it made a friend very happy!


So maybe I'll figure out a way to include something like this in my Pressed Clovers shop?  I struggle with how to offer books like this which are so personalized.  But I haven't seen much out there for runners to preserve these successes! And I'd love to be the avenue for them to do so! Any ideas or thoughts on this? Just let me know, I'm curious how to work it.

Thanks for following this long post and my journey here! :)

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Gathering Inspiration

Click to find this on Etsy!


A friend sent me this email with a great idea!  It's basically a chain letter with NO BAD LUCK - only blessings!  Read below, you'll like it, too:

We are starting a collective, constructive and hopefully uplifting Bible verse exchange. We hope you will participate. We have picked those we think would be faithful and make it fun.

Please send an encouraging Bible verse to the person in position 1 below(even if you don't know him or her).  


It should be a favorite verse that has lifted you when you were experiencing challenging times. Don't agonize over it - it is one you reach for when you need it - or the one that you always turn to. 

Position 1 (I'll let you know if you participate)

Position 2 (Again, I will let you know.)

After you've sent the verse to the person in Position 1, and only to that person, copy this letter into a new email, move my name to Position 1 and put your name in Position 2. 
Only my name and your name should show when you email. 
Send to 20 friends BBC (blind copy).It's fun to see where they come from. Seldom does anyone drop out because,  we all need new ideas and inspiration. 


The turnaround is fast, as there are only two names on the list and you only have to do it once!

Thanks!



Trust me, I could have used some of these uplifting versus easily in the past year.  My problem is, I don't have emails for 20 people - but I do have blogs for many of you and I think you would particpate.  If you are intersted, please let me know (comment below and I'll email you back). I would LOVE to have several bible versus to add to my memory when things get tough and I need some encouragement.  I bet you would, too.  Please join the fun and pass it along to others.

Now, I'm not PROMISING this, BUT, I MAY be able to turn the bible versus into a gift for you if you participate! :)  Even if I did personally email this to you, you'll be counted in the fun.  No promises, but I bet I could come up with something. :)  Looking forward to your participating!

Monday, February 18, 2013

Muffin Monday & Snowy Weekend


Warm Kitty, Sleepy Kitty, Little Ball of Fur...

Muffin's reaction to Downton Abbey last night.  Mine was much the same - HOW COULD YOU! Then started whamming my head into the floor. Heaven help, how could they end my show this way. It was one of the tear-jerker episodes last night and I'm still tore up about it.

This was our adventure on Saturday trying to drive home from the wedding shower.  I'm a South Carolina gal and understand, we don't typically get crazy amounts of snow. But holy cow, Batman, it really came down fast and furious on Saturday.  We went from driving with just a bit of drizzle to no longer being able to see.


The roads were getting covered so quick we couldn't tell where the edge of the road and the ditches were, so it was kinda exciting.  Then the windshield started icing up, despite the wipers and defroster.


Mom was driving so I snapped pictures.  This one below is getting closer to the house - how pretty is the house and trees!  But you can really tell how dark and cloudy it got. And I can't stress enough how QUICKLY it happened.  HUGE fat wet flakes coming down so fast, it was crazy.


Below is my parents house (they live behind me) and you can see how it cleared up and become a beautiful day the next day.  I walked over to their house for a tasty breakfast of biscuits and honey. Yum yum!  So there you go, pictures of a Southern snow. :)


Sunday, February 17, 2013

A Spot Of Snow

We don't often get serious snow around here, but yesterday we received THUNDER SNOW. I hope you feel the serious impact of this...THUNDER SNOW! I know, doesn't that sound fun?



Anyway, we had a snow burst come through turning the area into a winter wonderland within minutes... Mom and I were driving home, when seriously in a blink, it went from a bit of drizzle to crazy snow storm you couldn't see through.



We were most grateful to make it home! It was just such a quick change in conditions we didn't have time to prepare. Four inches is what wer ended up with, which isn't bad for this neck of the woods.



I'm not a fan of snow, but it is beautiful. I took pics asl the way home and may add them to the blog next week...



A few photos from this morning...most of the snow had melted by this evening. Tomorrow morning will be a beast with black ice. That should be a fun drive in the morning...



And a photo strip of Miss Macy because she is so cute! :)

Friday, February 15, 2013

Friday's Letter



Dear Christmas Tree, I'm very thankful you are artificial.



Dear Paulene, I'm so glad you liked your race book! It only took me a year to make it! :) But it taught me to overcome the fear of not being good enough for such a task.



Dear Macy, I'm sorry you have an ear infection, please get well quickly.

Dear pops, so thankful for your good news! Thanks to everyone who prayed and sent good wishes our way!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Happy Valentine's Day!!!


Happy Valentine's Day!


"I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon."  
                            - Author Unknown




Happy Valentine's Day, my friends! :)  I hope you are having a lovely day with your sweetie, family, friends, pet - whatever it is that you love.  My morning started with a card from my sister that brought me to tears. Had to sop that messiness up before I made it to work! Then my sister-in-law sent the sweetest text that started it all up again. My dad is always my Valentine - he finds the most PERFECT cards that I cherish dearly, so I'm looking forward to that tonight. He'll be getting a sugar free candy box from me. :)


These are the Valentine's Macy sent to her Prayer Peeps. Isn't she adorable? Look at those two teeth shining and her beautiful blue eyes. What a cutie.  :)

Keeping with the Macy theme, I completed another Pinned it, Did it project!! On the left is the one I pinned - on the right is the one Macy gave to her grandmother (my mom). While I still like theirs better, we didn't make Macy's feet close enough to fit in a smaller frame. AND I couldn't find my red paint and we used red marker instead! hahaha... oh well. Hopefully Memaw can overlook it. (for all you Susan Branch fans, that is her scrapbook paper as a background!)



















I'm heading home soon to snuggle my kitten and do dinner with Mom & Dad.  Maybe Katie and her family will join us, too. Dad is making dinner for us and then we'll dive into chocolate. Or maybe the cake I whipped up last night for the girls at work. Silvery White Cake with Cream Cheese Icing. YUM if I do say so myself! :)

Ya'll have a sweet Valetine's! :)

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Heaven Help!

I know, I've been MIA since Monday! I'm sorry, it's been that kind of week. Barely in my office, barely at home, run run run. But I'm here now! Woop woop!



Sweet niece #1 was home this weekend, so I gave her a Valentine's Day surprise...pencils, mood pen, hand sanitizer, socks, gum and CANDY! She loved it. And she gave my sister and b-i-l the handprint/feetprint art and they loved it! Whew. (as a side note, can you imagine us as kids getting hand sanitizer? We'd be ticked, not tickled!)

I took today off from work to keep Macy since dad & mom headed back to the dr to see if his cancer treatments worked. Ya'll, I am so happy to report YES! They do seem to have worked and he'll go back in three months for another look. They do expect he'll battle with this from now on, but knowing this treatment works for him is great!

Please let me say THANKS to those of you who prayed, sent encouraging thoughts, posted something positive... 2012 required me to ask for support and prayers-something I'm not really good at but I'm getting better. Thank you because it makes a difference. It really does.



I know what you really want here...baby pics! Is there any sweeter feeling than a sweet baby sleeping on your chest? Thankfully the child actually slept, she's been on a nap-time-isn't-fun kick lately.



Of course when she woke up it was diaper changing time! Since she loves playing with her feet, it really isn't too bad. Well...depending on the "type of diaper" if you know what I mean.

I'm off to make a cake for the girls at work. Ya'll have a happy hump night!

Monday, February 11, 2013

Muffin Monday!



Oops...I have no idea why the pic is posting twice. Double ticked off Muffin for your enjoyment! Poor Muffin. She's really isn't happy with me taking pictures this morning. That lump she's laying on is me and she really wants me to be still, pet her, and turn the lamp back off. Instead I'm wiggling around to take her picture. She's not amused.

Now I need to move her so I can get up and get ready for work. Ya'll have a good one!

Friday, February 8, 2013

Friday's Letter


Dear Sweet Niece #2, you are too cute for your own good.  I love visiting you every morning before work. I love you!  Sweet Niece #1, so glad you are coming home this weekend! :) I miss you when you aren't here. I love you, too, wild child!


Cara Box

Dear Cara Box partner, Kelly, you are awesome. I was pretty discouraged after signing up for Cara Box this month, only to hear the theme is #ClubSexy.  It just seemed to heighten my awareness that I'm single, and the only #ClubSexy in my house would be expenive kitty treats for Muffin. But you are awesome for shrugging that off and saying it's all about pampering you! (or me...) So thanks for that. :)  And Anna, I'm looking forward to creating a box for you! :) 


Dear Edisto, I'm soooo looking forward to frying on your beaches, then relaxing in the beach house. Please let me surivive until then. 



Dear Sherry, the countdown is on!! I'll be hanging out on your back porch very soon! Can't wait! :) 

Dear Readers - I've so enjoyed "meeting" so many wonderful people online. You are inspiring in so many ways! :) 

Head over to Sweet Season and link up with everyone else! :) 

Photobucket

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Smack me in the face, why don't you?

Imaginary Friends, let me just share this with you.  As you all know by now, I have chosen the word, "Simplify" as my one little word for the year.  I'll be honest, I haven't done much with it.  I really want to go through my house and clean out so much stuff that is caving in around me.

Ok, moving along, I once used this email devotional each morning, until I switched over to #shereadstruth.  Well, I never cancelled the email devotional but I rarely read it. (Girlfriends in God - it really is great).  I have been SO SLACK about #shereadstruth, so I decided to read my Girlfriends in God this morning and I had to share this with you:


February 6, 2013
He is Waiting for You
Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth
“Now as they went on their way, He entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home” (Luke 10:38, NIV).

Friend to Friend
Balance always requires a fierce and ruthless examination of priorities. Our true priorities are not mere lists of activities completed or goals set but candid reflections of our heart desires.  What we deem important receives the most time, energy, attention and resources. The importance of right and balanced priorities is illustrated by the life of Martha.

Jesus knew that He was always welcome in the home of Martha. Scripture tells us that Jesus “had no place to lay His head,” but He often came to this home when He needed to rest or get away from the demanding crowds. At the age of thirty, the Son of God left His natural home and there is no record of His ever returning to live there. He often went to Bethany, to the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, and even spent His final week on earth there. Jesus didn’t have to wonder if He was welcome in this home or if Martha was “ready” for His presence. He knew she was. Can He say the same about us? Do we have the heart of a seeker, one who lives each day aware of God’s presence, His plan and His priorities?

Seeking God begins with recognizing who He is and then inviting Him into our lives as Lord and Savior. If He is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all. For some of us, the problem is not that we lack a personal relationship with God. Our problem is that we are not “making room” for that relationship. Balance comes when we yield to His plan in the everyday moments of life.

One summer, our family went to Pennsylvania where we visited Amish country. I have always been fascinated by the Amish people and enjoyed every minute spent in their beautiful and carefully ordered world. As our visit came to an end, I wanted to buy a souvenir to remind me of the peaceful days we had spent there, but everything I picked up was too expensive. Being a committed shopper, I was not about to let that stop me. We travelled up and down the small hidden back roads of each community, looking for the Amish products known only to a few and to those relentless shoppers who were willing to persevere. I was beginning to lose hope when I spotted the small, white sign posted on the fence of a quaint and absolutely perfect house. “Amish Crafts” it said. This was it!

As we climbed out of the car, a sense of peace settled around us like an old familiar blanket. Our voices immediately dropped to a whisper as we tiptoed up the narrow stone path and gently opened the screen door. When we stepped onto the porch filled with beautiful Amish crafts, a woman came out of the house, welcomed us with a beautiful smile and introduced herself as Mary. She invited us to browse and to let her know if we needed any help. I have to admit that I was almost rude in my pathetic attempts to catch a glimpse of her home through the porch windows. Reading my mind, she graciously offered, “Would you like to come in and look around?” I thought she’d never ask!     
     
Mary’s home revealed a world very different from mine and an uncommonly simplistic lifestyle I desperately longed to experience. The house was sparsely furnished with only the necessities, but Mary described her life and daily routine with words like “calm, uncomplicated, peaceful and serene.” When I asked why she had chosen such a lifestyle she sweetly responded with words of wisdom I will never forget, “I have discovered that when my life and my heart get too crowded there is not enough room for God.” Exactly! (sorry, I'm highlighting this because this is the key!)

An unbalanced life is too crowded for God. It is so easy to relegate our spirituality to religious activity when all He really wants is to spend time with us. When the tears fall, He wants to wipe them away, collecting each one so that He can pour them back into our lives as a refreshing rain of restoration. God longs for us to forever run into His arms, sharing every hurt and rejoicing in every victory. The Father yearns to wrap His strong arms around us, bringing the peace and balance we so desperately need.

Instead, we often relinquish control of our life to unworthy demands dictated by a world that operates in “urgent” gear. We forget what is really important. The important rarely barges in while the urgent is always an offensive intruder. The important waits patiently while the urgent demands its own way, creating bedlam and imbalance. Certainly, there are times when the important is also urgent – but we must learn to discern between the two. We wrongly conclude that a busy life is automatically a productive life and think that a full schedule will surely produce a full heart.

I have great news! He loves who you are more than He loves what you do. Seek Him today. Make room for Him. He is waiting.

Let’s Pray
Father, I am too busy and sometimes I feel like my life is spinning out of control. I’m tired of the imbalance I see in the way I live. Help me learn how to establish priorities that please You and reflect Your plan for me. I commit to spending time with You each day, seeking Your wisdom and direction. I love You, Lord.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn
Are you ready to evaluate your life according to God’s priorities? Set aside time today to spend with Him. Grab your journal and record the truths He gives you about how to balance your life.
Ask God to let you see your life through His eyes. Be willing to change what needs to be changed in order to invest your time wisely.    
 
Determine the top five life priorities of your life - right now. Take a deep breath and brutally examine your calendar and checkbook to see where you spend most of your time and resources. We can give lip service to what we think our priorities should be but until our daily schedule reflects those priorities, we are only "playing at life."  
  
More from the Girlfriends
Choose to keep the commitments you have made today for one month. So much of the Christian walk is wrapped up in the word "choice." A choice is a deliberate action and purposeful decision. We can choose where and how we spend our time. A daily time alone with God in prayer and Bible study will strengthen you to face whatever life throws at you this year. Check out Mary’s weekly online Bible study, Light for the Journey, for practical ways to tap into the power of God’s Word. The first study of 2013 is Power Up With Proverbs, and it’s not too late to join!


I'm very much wanting to simplify and so far I haven't done anything to reflect this passion in my life.  Sounds like I need to take a weekend out of the craft room and spend it cleaning up and cleaning out my life. :)  

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Shutterfly Valentine! :) Sharing with you!

Very excited to share the Valentine I made for my sister, FREE (for the most part) from Shutterfly! I think it cost me $1.09 for the card and to have them mail it - and it's super cute!

Seriously, isn't that precious?  Use the code CARD4U to get your own card and surprise someone you love with a personalized card!

Stationery Card
View the entire collection of cards.
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