Pretending

     When I started this little blog of mine, I thought I would be sharing fun little crafties all the time.  Then…I realized that crafting is hard, and I have a limited skill set.  After this realization, I revamped and let you all follow me through life and watch me realize how it works.  In spite of all this, I still love crafties, and desperately wish I could just whip up beautiful things like so many of you.  It has been so hard for me to keep up with pretending to be a crafter while I’ve been in school, but this weekend got me back into the swing of things!

My sister and I made…

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an ornament wreath…which I love,

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a poofy wreath…love,

AND

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applesauce cake…stay tuned for this recipe.

     This cake…is incredible.  I have a feeling I’ll be making it more often…or never because I could eat the entire pan.  Oh!  I almost forgot.  Do not ever make these…

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because you will eat entirely too many.  I’ll have to share this recipe too!

     I hope your Thanksgivings were incredible!  Mine certainly was, and now I am 10,000,000% ready for Christmas (…let’s not kid…I’ve been there for awhile now).  This weekend is tree weekend; after that I’ll be revealing all the decorations!

Gray Thursday

     I ventured to Wal-mart last night…and came back empty handed.  While the rest of you are fighting the masses today and for the rest of the weekend, I’ll be on the couch watching Christmas movies…and baking an applesauce cake.  In spite of my Wal-mart experience, my Thanksgiving was wonderful, and I hope yours was too!
Get ready…it’s about to be all Christmas all the time!

Project Thanksgiving

     Yesterday I started my little thanksgiving experiment.  I made it a point to stop several times during the day just to thank God for His timing…even when I don’t like it.  Results?

It worked.

     The more time I spent just thanking Him (as opposed to asking Him to fit His plans to mine), the more thankful I became.  To be honest, the first few times I stopped to pray were pretty hard.  I found my mind drifting to the questions instead of the thanks.  The more I did it though…the more I liked it.
     For day two…

Tuesday
God’s Provision

     provision.
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     Whatever God provides…is enough.  That is the truth.  In whatever situation, I must be content…because it’s His will.  I know these sentences are sounding choppy, but there is so much truth in this kind of simplicity. 
     I can be thankful because His provision is always enough.  I am called to be thankful.  I’m spending today being thankful for God’s provision simply because it is enough.  Always.

The Thief of Joy

     Hold on everybody…this week I’m going to get really honest.  Yesterday our sermon was about thankfulness…not a surprise.  What did surprise me was how thankless I’ve been feeling.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Thanksgiving, but the last few weeks have really been a struggle for me.  Given the season (and because I need this), I’m going to focus on thanksgiving (the act, not the holiday) for the next week.  I’m choosing one blessing each day, and I am going to meditate on that and pray on it and thank God for it with my whole heart.  Let’s get started…

Monday
God’s Timing

     I’m jumping in with both feet.   I’m also anticipating that this won’t be the easiest ever post to write…so I’m going to start with a list.
     1.  Salvation
     2.  Keith
     3.  College
     4.  Job
     5.  Marriage
    
     These are gifts, blessings that I’ve been given, and I really am thankful for them.  What I don’t have is an attitude of thankfulness about God’s timing in blessing me.  I’m a planner…I like to know what’s going on all the time, so to not know everything is a struggle for me.  I am really having to work on trusting in His timing.
     I believe that God is going to provide, but I also have to believe that He is providing in the right timing.  The hang up?  Comparison.  Hence the title.


     God’s timing for everyone else is not God’s timing for me.  I may tattoo that on my forehead.  What He is doing in my life is right because it is His plan.  Is it hard to look at my life and realize that I’m not exactly where I thought I would be?  Yes.  Is it hard to look at my life and see that it isn’t following the same timeline as most people in my family?  Yes.  Is it God’s will that I compare what He is doing in my life to what He’s done for others?  No.  I’m spending today thanking God for His timing…even when it isn’t my timing…and even when it doesn’t match other people’s timing.

Sparkles Everywhere, Y’all

Hold on to your hats people!
Today I am so excited to be sharing such a fun giveaway with you.
     Several months ago I won a fabulous purse from GiGi New York.  To say this sparked a fire is an understatement.  There is not a single thing on GiGi’s (yes…we’re on a first name basis) website that I am not drooling over…namely this.
     If that doesn’t show you how fun their products are, I don’t know what will!  I can tell you from experience that everything they produce is quality, quality, quality.  And is if that wasn’t enough, their customer service has been practically a dream (no exaggeration)!
     Before I even get to the giveaway, you should hop right over to GiGi New York and spend a little time window shopping…or actual shopping.  To make matters even more exciting…the holiday collection is out!  Sparkles everywhere, y’all!
While you were there did you notice these cute little things?

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   Are you kidding me?  I would be hooking these key chains onto everything…everything.  One of you lucky readers is going to have that opportunity.  Use the giveaway widget below for tons of chances to win this little cutie!
Good luck!  I’ll announce the winner next Wednesday!

P.S.  As if the giveaway wasn't enough fun...GiGi New York is offering a 20% discount on all orders today using the code CANDYCANE

Hang On

     Y’all, we did it!  Christmas decorations (minus the real tree) are up at our house!  For my mother’s “birthday palooza” (a term/concept she created) we turned our house into a winter wonderland.  Of course I forgot to take a single picture…but you can get an idea of what it looks like here.  This year it’s even better…obviously.

As per usual I’m going to change subjects about five times in this post.  Hang on.

     Three weeks and two days left of school.  That’s all…but…I was fingerprinted/interviewed for a job on Friday, and I am feeling really confident about it!  I would love to graduate and have some idea of what I’m doing…other than taking a well-deserved rest.
     My.  Engagement.  Pictures.  Are.  Here.  At the 11th hour…seriously, as I was about to walk out the door, the mail came with my picture disc and I could have just hugged the mailman!  If you are in West Tennessee and considering having pictures made, you should definitely give Oh Snappy Day Photography a looksee.

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I’ve been looking at them constantly!

     I hope all of you will be sticking around this week because I have a super fun GiGi New York giveaway on Wednesday!  Since I’ve been blogging, I have “discovered” (not on my own…obv) all of these incredible new companies and products, and GiGi New York/Graphic Image might just be my favorites!  I am so excited to be sharing a fun, new product with you soon.
     Last but not least…if you do something really stupid about a month before you graduate…like forget to turn in a paper…the world. will. not. end.  I had a “mini meltdown” (I put it in quotes because it’s a lie…) yesterday about a little reflection paper that I forgot to turn in, and even though I could just kick myself for being so dumb…when I woke up this morning the earth was still spinning, and God is still God.  I may not get to have a certain seal on my diploma, and I’m not sure what else will happen (surely it won’t be that bad…), but I’m going to let go.  As believers we are called to cast our cares upon Him…and leave them there.  This little snafu is not going to keep me from graduating, it’s not going to affect my health, it’s not going to affect any job I may get, and it is not going to affect the fact that God is in total control.  Am I happy that I made this  mistake?  Well of course not.  Do I wish I could just fix it, no problems?  Well obviously.  Am I going to let the enemy tell me that I have ruined everything?  Absolutely not.  I am not defined by the stamps or seals on my diploma…I’m not even defined by the diploma, so I am not letting this bother me anymore.

*sigh*
I think I’ll alternate between Christmas music and choir music for the rest of the day.
How about another picture…or two?

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See you soon!

Sunday Social

It’s been such a long time since I did Sunday Social with Neely!
Sunday Social
 What is currently on your wish list?
    
I have been having a really tough time coming up with ideas for my Christmas list!  My mother has been begging for ideas, and I just now got a little list to her.  I think I’m finally ready to join the bandwagon and get some black Toms (or Bobs…I’m really not stuck on brand names) and a triple barrel curling iron.
   On my  imaginary wish list………


Share a new iphone, droid, ipad app you have recently discovered that we all need:
     Would y’all believe that I still don’t have one of those fancy, outer space phones?  I’m sucking the last little bits of life out of my LG enV3!

What is a new Fall TV show you have added to your DVR?

     I just did not get into the new fall shows this season.  I’m still keeping it classic with Big Bang Theory and Criminal Minds.

Share your Social Media links for us to follow you on(pinterest, twitter, facebook, etc)
Tell us which is your favorite and why? 
     They all have their benefits.  For personal use, I love Pinterest!  For networking, I still like Facebook over Google+…which I haven’t quite figured out yet.

What is a TV show or Movie or Song you could listen to or watch over and over and over and never get tired of…feel free to name one of each:

     TV Show…so many.  I love Criminal Minds, Paula Deen, Big Bang, Friends, The Nanny, Law & Order: SVU…pretty much all of it.
     Movie…Oooohhhh, how could I choose?  I like all of the Harry Potters, A Time to Kill, Hocus Pocus, The Santa Clause, etc.
     Song…probably one of my favorite songs of all time is If I Had a Boat by Lyle Lovett.

I can’t wait to link up and meet all you new fun people!







I’m Ready

Today...

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was a good hair day,

and that makes up for yesterday.

     I got totally ready today, and almost left before I realized I had on not a stitch of make-up.  This is a sign that Friday is a few days late.  It has been a long week in my world.  We took a field trip on Tuesday to the Fun Farm.  We had a ball (pig races, corn mazes, animals), but I left cold and exhausted.  Then we had a guest speaker, Halloween, and the full moon.
I’m ready for a nap.

     Also, now that Halloween is over, my mind is all Christmas all the time.  The crazies (i.e. my mother, my sister, and I) will be decorating next weekend (minus the tree).  Before you think we’re crazy…there is a good reason.  My parents will be going out of town for Thanksgiving, and who wants to come home to an undecorated house?!  No one.

Can’t wait!

     Happy weekend!  It’s been a long time coming this week.  Stay tuned for more about Christmas, engagement pictures, and my veil (which I’ll be buying January…I don’t think it’s too early to start thinking about it)!