Love This Girl

Okay, so this is why I love this girl.

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Let me paint you a picture. I'm standing across from Claire today, while she's in her high chair eating lunch. I'm in my ever-so-unflattering ribbed tank top from GAP, bermuda shorts, bare feet, no makeup.

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You get the idea, not so glamorous.

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Completely unprompted, this is what Claire says,
"Mumma....beautiful dress!"

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Oh to live life so simple and content,

I wish I could figure out how she does it.

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Love this girl.

Monday's 10 Things

Here's what I'm most thankful for, right now!

1. A lazy Saturday morning including a Starbucks Chai at home, compliments of Eric.

2. Spray paint...I've been using a lot of it lately and never realized how handy it is.

3. Eric's good attitude about spending the day with me and my parents at an antiques market.

4. Finding some really great deals at the antiques market!

5. My parents for letting us load up their truck with all of our large purchases.

6. Claire's new outdoor water table...no more mopping up water by the kitchen sink. (At least not until winter!)

7. Coast Guard Festival this week in Grand Haven.

8. An upcoming play date with good friends.

9. My husband's Grandma who is quite a fighter.

10. Sharing the same future plans and dreams as my husband.

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What are you most thankful for today?

Fresh Start Sunday

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

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1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)

Picture of the Week

Claire knows exactly what she wants to go see when we arrive at the zoo...the MONKEYS!

Sneak Peek!

Heading My Way

Right now, there's an order of all this yummy fabric heading my way! Eek! A few ideas, but no major project plans for any of it just yet, but I just couldn't resist!

Pop Garden Daisy Red by Heather Bailey

Garden Maze Red by Amy Butler

Farmer's Market Petal Party Pink by Michael Miller

Basket Squares Pink by Michael Miller

Tweet, Tweet White by Michael Miller

Frozen Treat

We have a really bad habit in our house of consuming way too much ice cream...especially during the summer.

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Here's how bad it is...Eric discovered that he had eaten ice cream every day of the first week of June, and therefore decided that he couldn't break the trend and should continue to eat ice cream every day for the remainder of the month.

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But it's not all Eric. The bulk of my pregnancy was during the hot months of the summer, and I'm sure ice cream could be to blame for the few "bonus" pounds I gained over what my doctor recommended I aim for.

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A few weeks back though, Eric finally said "enough!" (crazy, I know!) He asked that I please not buy any more ice cream, because if it's in the house, he will eat it, and we'll just say it wasn't helping either of our summer physiques.

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It's not hard to quit eating ice cream, but just like any other addiction, you can't just quit, you have to replace it with something else.

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I give you, the Yoplait Whips Yogurt.

I'm not sure where I heard about this, maybe from a commercial, but we've been putting these little cups in the freezer and enjoying them as our evening sweet treat. I'm not a calorie counter, but I'm guessing that these are at least slightly better for us than over-stuffed bowls of ice cream.

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My favorite is Raspberry Mousse, Eric's is Chocolate Mousse. Go ahead, pick out your favorite flavor and give it a try!

Monday's 10 Things

Here's what I'm most thankful for, right now!
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1. Another long weekend with the family.
2. My mom who just celebrated a birthday.
3. Discovering how much money we've saved over the last 6 years, simply by putting spare change in a jar. Try it, for real!
4. Store-bought pies which got me out of two different time-restraint jams this weekend.
5. Spending time with out-of-town friends.
6. A few open days now to just catch up on life.
7. Having a daughter who is so great at just going with the flow.
8. The Farmer's Market.
9. Warm weather is predicted to return after a July weekend that felt like an October weekend.
10. Getting to stay in bed until 7:30 on a Saturday.
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What are you most thankful for today?

Fresh Start Sunday

Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;

guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

Psalm 25:4-5 (NIV)

Picture of the Week

This was a great week for Claire.

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She had her first popsicle...

...and her first sno cone!Girlfriend can't complain!

Fruity Drinks

I'm working on a little family get-together for my mom's birthday this weekend, and my current project is to figure out what beverages to serve. I'm a big sucker for fruity drinks during the summer, so that's what I'm currently checking out for options.

Here are the front-runners:

(My mom is a huge peach-nut!)

Ingredients:
3 cups water
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 3-oz. pkg. peach-flavored gelatin
1 29-oz. can peach slices in light syrup
4 11.3-oz. cans peach nectar
1/2 cup lemon juice
8 10-ounce bottles ginger ale or club soda

Directions:
1. In large saucepan combine water, sugar, and gelatin. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve.

2. Place undrained peach slices in blender. Cover; blend until smooth. In extra-large bowl combine gelatin mixture, pureed peaches, peach nectar, and lemon juice. Divide peach mixture among four 1-quart containers. Cover and freeze overnight or until firm.

NOTE: Mixture can be frozen up to 3 months. Use as many containers as needed to continue with Step 3. (Each quart makes 6 servings.)

3. To serve, place one or more containers at room temperature for 1 hour. Break in chunks with large fork. Place in punch bowl or jug. Stir in 2 bottles of ginger ale per container of peach mixture until slushy.

Makes 24 servings (four 6-serving batches)

Ingredients:
2 cups orange juice, chilled
1 cup unsweetened white grape juice, chilled
1 cup reduced-calorie cranberry juice
1 1-liter bottle diet lemon-lime carbonated beverage, chilled
Ice cubes
2 cups assorted fresh fruit (such as oranges, cut into wedges; thinly sliced and halved lemons and/or limes; pineapple wedges; seedless red or green grapes; sliced, peeled and pitted peaches; and halved strawberries)
Fresh mint sprigs

Directions:
1. In a large bowl or pitcher, stir together chilled orange juice, white grape juice, and cranberry juice.

2. Add the lemon-lime beverage; stir gently. Fill each of 10 glasses about two-thirds full with ice. Divide fruit among glasses. Pour juice mixture into glasses. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
3 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1 12-ounce can diet lemon-lime carbonated beverage
Ice cubes

Directions:
1. In a blender, combine strawberries, raspberries, and apple juice concentrate. Cover and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve; discard pulp.

2. Pour strained mixture into a small pitcher; slowly stir in carbonated beverage. Serve over ice cubes in chilled glasses.

Makes 4 servings.

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All recipes found at www.bhg.com

Monday's 10 Things

Here's what I'm most thankful for, right now!

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1. Eric taking Friday off from work so we could have a family day.

2. Living just 30 minutes from the beach and my favorite beach town.

3. Perfect summer weather.

4. A healthy family.

5. Watching the baptism of our friend's baby boy this weekend.

6. Spending a Friday night with neighbors...sitting outside, drinking wine and enjoying good conversation.

7. Claire's 2-3 hour long naps.

(Oh how I pray she always naps so good!)

8. My craft room.

9. Good friends.

10. Getting to hang out with my parents this weekend.

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What are you most thankful for today?

Fresh Start Sunday

"Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet, but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now."

- St. Teresa of Avila

Happy Feet

Okay, so just how happy would your feet be if they got to walk on this gorgeous floor every single day?!?!?

See the full before and after here and a how-to here!

Pray for Kate

Right now, there's a 5 year old girl named Kate McRae fighting the biggest battle of her life. One week ago, her parents brought her to the doctor after they noticed a tremor in her hand. The next thing they knew, she was at the hospital receiving a scan, and ultimately finding out that she has a very large, and very aggressive brain tumor.

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Kate had brain surgery on Friday (July 3) and the surgeons were able to remove about 50% of the tumor. Tests are being done on the removed tumor at this point to determine what exact type of cancer it is, and what the best plan of action will be to cure her of it.

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Kate is slowly making strides since her surgery. Her movement has been minimal as have been her words, but every little bit that she is able to do is seen as a victory.

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I don't know Kate, I only know of her through my neighbor who is best friends with Kate's mom. But this little girl has been on my mind and in my prayers a lot over the last week.

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Kate's parents are seeking the prayers of believers all over the globe. They believe very strongly in God's divine power, and are asking individuals all over to pray and lift up their daughter to the true Healer.

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You can read updates on Kate here or watch a video about Kate here.

Monday's 10 Things

Here's what I'm most thankful for, right now!

1. A long weekend that included lots of time with my favorite people.

2. The privilege to just stay home with my little girl on a Monday and let her (and I) recover from a long weekend.

3. My brother and all the other military people stationed in Hawaii (and throughout the world too!) who are working to preserve and protect our freedom.

4. Seven years ago this past weekend, Eric proposed to me!

5. The songs Eric makes up and sings to Claire when she's having a hard time falling asleep.

6. Hearing Claire counting and reciting the alphabet. I'm so proud of that girl, she amazes me every day.

7. A new-found craft that I'm really excited about.

8. To-do lists. They're the only way I accomplish anything.

9. Blogging.

10. Etsy.

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What are you most thankful for today?

Fresh Start Sunday

It is Well with My Soul

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When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

when sorrows like sea billows roll;

whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

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It is well with my soul,

it is well,

it is well with my soul.

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Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

let this blest assurance control,

that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

and hath shed his own blood for my soul.

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It is well with my soul,

it is well,

it is well with my soul.

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My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

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It is well with my soul,

it is well,

it is well with my soul.

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And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

even so, it is well with my soul.

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It is well with my soul,

it is well,

it is well with my soul.

~

(Take a minute to read the story that led Horatio G. Spafford to write this song, it's worth knowing.)

Picture of the Week

Celebrating the Fourth of July with Elvis.

I know...completely random, but so much fun!

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Fourth of July!

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Enjoy spending the day with your friends and family,

and feeling gratitude for living in such a

great, free country!

~

(And of course, watch out for those sparklers,

those things are scary!)

White Jello

So if you're heading to a Fourth of July picnic and still aren't sure what to bring, I've got just the dish for you....White Jello!

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This is something my mom has been making for as long as I can remember. My family has always classified White Jello as a salad, although I'm not so convinced it should be. It's chock full of cool whip, so it kind of sounds like a dessert to me! Let's just put it this way....if you need to bring a salad to pass, bring White Jello. If you need to bring a dessert to pass, bring White Jello. Either way you're covered!

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Here's the recipe:

1 envelope Knox gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup boiling water
2/3 cup sugar
8 oz. cool whip
16 oz. sour cream
little bit of vanilla

1. Dissolve the gelatin in the cold water.
2. Add the remaining ingredients in the order listed above, stirring throughout.
3. Pour into a 9x9 baking dish.
4. Place in the refrigerator to set.
5. Top with your favorite berries. Mine is done in blueberries and strawberries special for the Fourth (just like mom does!)

Note: If you need a larger quantity, the recipe can be doubled and poured into a 9x13 baking dish like the picture above.

Enjoy!

Pinwheels

For today's getting patriotic project, I made red, white and blue pinwheels! What a fun (and SUPER easy) project this was. I'm totally going to remember pinwheels for future parties, either as part of the favors I give out, or as centerpieces. (Wow, did I really just say I'm totally...???")

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Anyway.

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The tutorial for making the pinwheels can be found here.
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For my pinwheels I:

*found some great two-sided paper at my extremely large and well-stocked but slightly overpriced scrapbook store nearby. The blue and white polka dot paper is my favorite (what's with me and polka dots lately?!?)

*cut my squares to 6 inches x 6 inches and used scrapbooking scissors to give the edges a little pizazz.

*used American flag pencils rather than dowels as the directions suggested. (These pencils along with all sorts of other red, white and blue goodies are currently in the dollar bins at Target, get yours fast!)

*used some of my red, white and blue sewing pins as opposed to the tacks shown in the tutorial. The pins stuck out the opposite side of the pencil eraser, so I just used a wire cutters to cut them off.

Cute!

Fashionably Patriotic

Happy July!

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We're busy getting ready for the holiday weekend, starting with a little fashion for the Fourth!

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I've been looking for a (free) pillowcase dress pattern for a while now without a whole lot of luck. Most of the patterns I found were just too simple and basic, and I wanted something a little bit nicer. Finally this week though I found this pattern on the blog Just Add Glitter.

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I like this pattern for a couple of reasons...the first being that it uses a second fabric around the bottom for a little extra detail, and the second being that it actually includes finishing all of the edges of the dress. So many patterns that I've found have raw edges, and even though they are on the inside, I still think they should be finished properly.

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So, without further ado...here is my little patriotic 4th of July model!

Aren't polka dots just the best?!?

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Claire recently discovered candy, and I just today discovered that candy works as a fabulous bribe to get a crabby-not-wanting-to-be-wearing-the-dress-at-this-particular-moment-girl to pose for a picture!