Monday's 10 Things

Here's what I'm most thankful for, right now!
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1. A great (quick) family getaway to Florida.
2. A three year old who was a total gem and made traveling very easy and very fun.
3. My parents for letting us follow them to Florida and crash their condo.
4. 80 degrees and sun. Need I say more?
5. My amazing husband who just celebrated a birthday!
6. Continued growth in sales for Cora Anne Designs - thanks everyone!!
7. Meeting so many new people recently through the blogosphere & Twitter.
8. A girl's night away coming up this weekend, s.w.e.e.t.
9. Watching my girl singing on stage yesterday at church, melted this mumma's heart.
10. Tomorrow is March, can't we just kiss winter goodbye already?!?
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What are you most thankful for today?


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Fresh Start Sunday

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
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Ephesians 3:14-19 (NIV)


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Pull Up A Chair

Thanks so much to Sincerely Abi for including my zippered pouch in your treasury!


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Inch By Inch

Thanks for including my card in your sweet treasury!


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Still Getting Caught Up

Whew! I am certainly not caught up around here.
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But in the meantime, I'm going to pretend that I'm here...playing with her...and hanging out with my favorite people...I'll be back soon!

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Find Me Here....

We are just back from Florida and I've got a lot of catching up to do, but in the meantime, you can find me at Yellow Songbird's Handmade Monday! Read it here.


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Fresh Start Sunday

Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
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Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)


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Some Close Ups

Here's a few close-ups from my new craft room...colorful baker's twine from Parcel & Papersewing supplies kept close to my machineyou can't ever be too organized. for real.I Am Sew Happy frame from Rebel.ReclaimedAnthropologie bowl - gift from Eric
favorite childhood pictures
recipe card of my Grandma's cranberry sauce recipe
ornament by k studio, gift from my mother-in-law
Beautiful Day print by Studio Mela
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And by the way...did anyone happen to notice that my blog and craft room coordinate? Would you suppose that was planned???


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Ta da!

So while I've already been busy using my new craft room, it occurred to me that I left all of you hanging on some final post-move in pictures, oops!
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Here it is!ahh, my little crafty haven!I took a big hit on square footage compared to what I had, but in this room everything has a specific place where it belongs which makes it work just fineone of my favorite pieces of furniture
read about how it came to be hereahh, organizational Heaven!
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there's a few elements still missing including a cork back splash above the counter top, plus some art I have planned for the walls, but it'll get there with time.

it's come a long way, wouldn't you say??




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Preschool Valentine's Debaucal

Okay, I'm going to call this the curse-of-the-crafty.
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Why do I insist on fussing on handmade Valentines for Claire's three year old preschool class rather than just buy a box from the store??? Seriously, I'm sure the kids just ripped them open anyway without giving them a single look.But anyway, the Valentine's themselves were not that difficult (and look, I actually used my Cricut for something other than a banner!) The difficult part came when I honestly thought a three year old could sit and write her name 15 times over without any drama involved. Serious lack of judgment on my part.it started out sweet
and everybody was having fun
but about four or five in the tears began.
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We made it through, whew.The real reward came though while watching Claire hand out her Valentine's to her classmates, so cute!And at least I'm not the mom who handed out whistles to all the kids.
Not cool. Not cool at all. The dog doesn't think so either.

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Monday's 10 Things

Here's what I'm most thankful for, right now!
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1. Temperatures in the 40's this weekend + sunshine...it's so nice for a change!
2. Eric who has been the love of my life for nine years now.
(Have I ever mentioned how I would have married him after our first date, no lie!)

3. Spending Valentine's Day spoiling our little girl.
4. Hearing one of Claire's teachers say "I love you" as we left school today.
(How am I ever going to handle the last day of school???)

5. My Grandma who is celebrating her birthday today.
6. Florida is in just TWO days!
7. A forecast calling for perfect weather, 76 and sunny.
8. We're almost completely packed.
(Please tell me I'm not the only one that stresses so much about packing!)
9. A very powerful church service this week, based off of this message.
10. Anticipating what's in store for our church in the future.
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What are you most thankful for?


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Fresh Start Sunday

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
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Romans 3:23-24 (NIV)


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Girlfriends + Chocolate Martinis

Aren't girlfriends the best??How about girlfriends + the world's.best.chocolate.martinis.
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We traveled to Northern Michigan a few weeks back and had some amazing chocolate martinis at the resort we stayed at. The bartender claimed he was an expert, but seriously, he's got nothing on us. We made our own this weekend, and I promise you, they were just as good.
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Here's the recipe
(just in time for Valentine's!)

2.5 shots half and half
.5 shot vodka
1.5 shots chocolate liqueur
1.5 shots creme de cacao

shake shake shake
and then do your best to not gulp it all down,
it's that good.
(I know you're going to be thanking me once you try them!)


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Isn't She Lovely?

Here she is, the brand new blog! Isn't she pretty?
Over 2 years of blogging plus some 600+ blog posts later, it was about time!
(I think I'm in love)
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It's as though Heather could see inside my brain, and created e.x.a.c.t.l.y. what I was looking for. I had given suggestions of colors, the chevron stripes, and a small red bird (to honor my Grandparents who loved cardinals), and she just took it from there and nailed it.
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I couldn't be happier with how it turned out,
and, I even have a button now!You can find the code over on the right
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copy it. share it. love it.

and, it gets even better....
the Cora Anne shop has a new look tooyay!

to celebrate, use the code BLOG15 for 15% off your total purchase!
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Whew! That was definitely enough exclamation points for one post, huh???
Thanks again to Heather at Blessed Little Nest, you're the best!


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Custom Wreath

I recently finished up a custom yarn wreath order for someone and was very happy with how it turned out. The customer contacted me asking if I could make a wreath with the same fabric as this one........only with pink yarn for her daughter's room.
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Here's what I came up with!