Cotton+Wood

::the best breakfast blend smoothie::

2012-03-07T09:24:00.004-08:00

I found a recipe years ago [I guess] and I'm sorry I cannot remember the source. It's been scribbled on a piece of purple paper and stuffed in my paper drawer. I finally resurrected it at the end of 2011. Greatest decision ever.

This is the best smoothie recipe known to mankind especially if you want to kick a cold or overall feeling of yuck and crum.

Trust me, I don't think I've ever eaten kale but it's in the smoothie. Yes, the final product will look greenish but you just have got to take the plunge and take a sip. And you will understand that I would never tell you to make a disgusting-tasting smoothie. Ever. Never.

The details:

1 banana
1/2 cup frozen [or non-frozen] peaches
1 apple, peeled and cored
1 cup spinach
1 cup kale
1/2 cup yogurt [I use vanilla]
1 cup cranberry juice
1 spoonful of orange juice concentrate

Put all this in the blender and blend very well.

It's delicious straight out of the blender but it's even better if you put it in the fridge to chill a bit.

I never eat this many fruits in one day so this is an excellent blend to combat that.

I'd love to hear if you try it and what you think of it!!

::endless gifts 646-665::

2012-03-05T08:21:00.003-08:00

Today is positively sparkling. There is [was] a beautiful covering of snow this morning along with brilliant sunshine and blue, blue skies -- my favorite kind of winter, Midwestern day.

What a perfect day for remembering His blessings from this past week.

[...And ps...literally as I type this, there's a happy song playing called This Is the Day [which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice, be glad....]...a version of the song I've never heard.]

646. spending time with my friend, Carol
647. conviction from the Holy Spirit
648. extra hours at work
649. safety
650. the hope of spring
651. a forgotten check received in the mail
652. better health for Opa
653. a mini vacay for Mom and Dad in FL with Oma and Opa
654. blue, blue skies
655. a yellow kilanchoe
656. health
657. cello practice
658. a call from my friend, Amy
659. the ability to exercise
660. the Holy Spirit using one of the Master's Club lessons to stick in the heart of one of my students
661. fruit in the life of new Christians
662. a happy, happy Sunday morning
663. A sprinting towards me to give me a hug and telling me she won the quiet seat prize in Sunday school
664. sunshine streaming
665. fluffy white sheets

OH MY GOODNESS. I keep forgetting to tell you all about the giveaway from Cotton+Wood going on over at Kim's blog. Check it out here!

::what a beautiful day::

2012-02-29T20:48:00.002-08:00

Wednesday was such a beautiful, beautiful day to end the month of February.

I got a lot done including getting started on a big batch of verse cards.

Making raspberry chocolate muffins. I know. Yum.

Taking a walk.

Going to work, of course. :)

And [finally] planting a kilanchoe in my little planter. I have been looking for the perfect-sized plant and found one earlier this week. Hooray!

::endless gifts 631-645::

2012-02-27T06:44:00.003-08:00

Sooo....I finally finished updating my thankfulness journal. It's been fun to look back on each day and jot down a few things rather than looking back on the week and recounting blessings. So here is my list from the past week.

631. Mom and I working together on a table for our school's fundraiser
632. Mom's example of a sweet spirit
633. recovery from sickness
634. safety for Dad as he flies thousands of miles every year
635. a fun day with Max and Rachel
636. provision
637. chatting with a lady in my church
638. adversity
639. the 90 day challenge
640. a very good chat with Dad and Mom about something coming up in the future
641. cello lessons!!
642. modern medicine
643. chats with Mom
644. protection
645. safety for our missionary friends as they travel

Happy Mooooooondaaaaaaaaaaaay! Another new week filled with new mercies! Hall-le-lu-jah!

::travel::

2012-02-22T12:28:00.000-08:00

travel by rebeccagaus featuring a red striped shirt

I have travel on my mind.

This would be a perfect, comfy outfit.

Sorry for the short posts lately.

Life is busy, busy....which is a very good thing.

Current verse I am meditating on:

Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Psalm 37:4

::oh yes, I did::

2012-02-21T10:39:00.000-08:00

In honor of National Pancake Day, I made myself a stack of blueberry pancakes for lunch.

I know this is the most stimulating and creativity inspiring blog post you have ever read here at Cotton+Wood so I thought I'd share a few more links to continue that creativity.

Liberty of London is opening a children's department >>> squeal from the cuteness >>> Little Liberty

Beautiful, beautiful embroidery from Anna Maria Horner >>> Stills

Printable floral gift tags >>> Swoooooon

::friend Friday::April::

2012-02-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

Oh my word. Super excited to introduce to you April from Frugal Homemaking. I am totally going to brag on her a bit. She was an A+ student in school. She was always super sweet in high school and had an obvious walk with God [then and now] -- definitely the girl we wanted to be more like. She has a fun, sweet blog dedicated to her life as a mother -- especially her gift of being frugal. Her love story with her husband, Ben, is amazing. It is truly the working of God that they are married. Their love story is a blessing to me and I know it will be to you, too.

Hi there, I'm April, and I’m pretty excited about guest posting for Rebecca today. We have known each other since my family moved to Chesterton when I was eight, so we go back a bit. Some of the things that I have always loved about Becca is she is just so doggone sweet and supremely classy. Now that we’re all grown up and everything, I have come to enjoy her blog for the words of truth and Biblical encouragement that are obviously an overflow of her life.

Since this week was Valentine’s Day, Rebecca suggested that I share a bit of my love story with you. I’ve never shared it on my blog before, and parts of it are ugly, but God has an amazing way of making ugly things beautiful, doesn’t He?

Ben and I met at Bible college in 2002. He was a junior studying missions, and I was a sophomore in the secondary education program when he asked me to attend a Christmas banquet with him. Ben is the iconic introvert, but I loved his serious, quiet nature that contrasted so sharply with my fun-loving, talkative self. We had a few dates sporadically during the spring semester, but then we traveled together the whole summer of 2002, representing our college in churches across America. By the end of the summer, I was in love and fully convinced he was THE ONE. By November, he had told me he loved me, and the subject of marriage had been broached—a huge development in our little college dating scene. Life was grand, I was in love, and the future seemed certain.

The one thing I hadn’t counted on was parental disapproval. My parents had met Ben, and he had asked my dad’s permission to date me. They had even taken us on a couple dates, and they thought he was a godly gentleman (which he is!) Unfortunately, my dad and Ben had a doctrinal difference that could not seem to be resolved. By December, my dad said he did not want me to continue dating Ben until the issue could be resolved. I knew my dad loved me, and only had my best interests in mind, so I obeyed, but my heart was in full rebellion. That Christmas and for months to follow, I wept bitter, heart-broken tears. Ugly, red-faced, ragged-breath, snot-mingled tears. Angry, fearful, untrusting tears. I cried every day. I could not understand why God was allowing my perfect world to crash so dismally before me. Didn’t God know I had plans? Those plans included serving Him! I had not yet learned that God’s ways are so much higher than our ways.

For the next year and a half, the battle raged. Ben and Dad met more times than they cared to count, trying to come to an agreement. I tried to convince both of them that they believed the same thing, they were just looking at it from two different sides—neither of them bought that coin. Eventually, they both gave up trying to agree. But Ben wasn’t ready to let go of our relationship, nor was I. At the same time, we weren’t willing to trust God with our future either. We began to communicate covertly, and we talked of eloping. Through a series of God-ordained events, it didn’t happen, and I gave up. Like really gave up. I quit trying to work it out. I gave God my hopes, my dreams, my plans. I foresaw my future as a spinster, quietly living out my days teaching school. I did not like it, and I wanted a different life script, but I submitted. I told God He could do whatever He wanted. Unbeknownst to me, God was working in Ben’s heart in a similar fashion.

Amazingly, just ten days later, God gave my dad complete peace about the situation with Ben. He called Ben, and told him we were free to date again. I pretty much floated for the next week. By November 2004, we were engaged, and just a year later, on June 10, 2005, we were married. By the way, Becca played her flute at our wedding!

I’d like to say I’ve learned this lesson of submission perfectly, but I haven’t. Ask Ben. But this history is now a memory that I can recall with confidence in an all-knowing, faithful God. I could not see the end of the story, therefore I failed to trust the One who could. Now I have experienced His goodness, and I know that He loves me, despite what circumstances may scream.

Unlike what this post may attempt to be, my blog is not insightful or theological. It’s just a chronicle of my days as a wife and mom, seeking to create a joyful place of peace on a sufficient but frugal budget. Come by and visit me to see my latest frugal adventures, creations, and stories!

Thanks, Rebecca, for letting me share my story in this happy little place.

Thanks for coming, April!! So happy that you took the time to share with us. Go visit April over at Frugal Homemaking!

::local love::Shady Lawn Florist::

2012-02-16T10:12:00.000-08:00

A while back, I started thinking....

...If "all of us" who have small online shops would begin to concentrate more on marketing locally rather than on the .same. .exact. .blogs. .over. .and. .over. .again. we'd probably feel less claustrophobic about our products and other people "copying" us.

I have never felt that anyone has copied me simply because there's not much to copy. I have a very small shop and I try to keep it simple. But it's so exhausting trying to make sure your products are 100% original -- which is basically impossible -- because sometimes, we have the same ideas. [surprise!]

Anyways. All that to say, that I wanted to start a new feature on Cotton+Wood spotlighting some of the local businesses in my town. In the long run, I hope it pays off as a networking feature. I'd love for my products to end up in local shops and this is just the beginning of that dream.

My first spotlight is the lovely flower shop, Shady Lawn Florist!

I have known the owners, Jim and Judy, since 2003. They are the sweetest, kindest people you'll ever meet in town and I mean that truly!

About this time of the year, I am drooling over the beautiful plants in their greenhouse. What a balm to the winter weary soul!

It is a family owned business and the history is amazing! This shop is a Chesterton treasure.

Right now, a bunch of happy tulips are $9.99.

When kids stop in the shop, they can grab a piece of licorice and the bottle of fish food and head over to feed the resident fish population.

If you're ever in the area, stop by 726 South Calumet and pay them a visit!

::staying creative + energized::

2012-02-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

Oh me. Oh my.

In this digital age, it is so easy to get bogged down with all the things we cannot do. Or is that just me? I do not naturally define myself as "creative." I know, I know others may beg to differ. But I know the real me.

One skill [shall we say] that I have been trying to hone is not comparing myself to others. This can be a difficult task especially in this visual, artsy, and creative world.

I have learned that I am me. I cannot compare myself to Suzy-Q blogger #13,879,907,097.

So what is that I do to stay creative and energized? I have a list saved somewhere of ideas to keep creative. That list is so helpful [especially considering the fact that I am a list girl].

However, I am not referring to that list. These are just two things that have recently come to mind that helps me stay creative and energized.

Go to bed early. Get up early.

I default to being a night-owl but I definitely love hitting the pillow extra early and getting up at the crack of dawn. It's fun to see how much has been accomplished by mid-morning.

Read the paper. Seriously. We get the Wall Street Journal on Saturday. I cannot believe the things I read and learned on Sunday night.

Did you know there are Jews in southern Africa? No, seriously. I didn't either.

I learned about the effect the drought has had on Texas and Oklahoma and the cows. Oh, the cows. The cows from Texas are smaller and have floppy ears compared to the cows in Iowa. Really.

I dare not bore you with more stimulating news articles that I read.

But try picking up your local paper [mine's a bore, unless I want to find out about road closings] or a national paper. Of course, many of the views expressed there will be biased and incorrect. At times, though, there are some interesting topics being discussed.

What is that you do to stay creative and energized -- continually moving forward and learning?!

::Happy Valentine's Day::

2012-02-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

I had another post planned for today and then remembered:It's Valentine's Day.

The day of loooooove.

It is absolutely amazing and a testament to the changing, life-altering power of the Holy Spirit that I am happy on a day like today.

If you would have told me February 14, 2002 [I was a freshman in college] that that would be the first of many, many single Valentine's, I would have thought you were cra-zy. Doesn't every starry-eyed freshman girl believe she will be married shortly after her senior year of college?

I know God has my future in His hands.

Here are a few quotes from one of my favorite books, Keep a Quiet Heart, to encourage any "singles" who may be reading here today.

Be quiet, why this anxious heed
About thy tangled ways?
God knows them all, He giveth speed,
And He allows delays.

Neither go back in fear and misgiving to the past, nor in anxiety and forecasting to the future; but lie quiet under His hand, having no will but His.

For me, Valentine's Day is hope for the future. I never want to give up on God because I never know what treasure store of abundant blessing He has for me right around the corner. I believe in Him. And even if I never get married, God is still good. All the time. God is good, so gracious, and unbelievably kind.

Happy [heart] day.

::endless gifts 625-630::

2012-02-13T06:45:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you haven't ever had this happen to you but it's a phenomenon in my life right now.

I have soooo very much to be thankful for but I can't put it in words.

I feel like I list the same things over + over + over again....which is a good thing. Every day He abundantly blesses me.

So just know that though my list is short, I have a huge, grateful heart today and always.

626. restful sleep
627. snow
628. multiple games of Uno with the little girl I babysit....good times + many laughs
629. wisdom from the Heavenly Father
630. productive week

Happy Mondaaaaaaaaaay!

::simple + useful + pretty::

2012-02-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

When I open the top right hand drawer of my desk, I see some of my favorite things.

Really, I'm just a simple girl who loves simple, beautiful things.

three favorite writing utensils.
--sharpie extra fine point marker
--plain, old, normal, boring pencils [there's something nostalgic about them]
--treasured pen from our family's stay at the Langham

thankfulness journal

pretty stamps
[ps...I was doing a bit of research on usps.com tonight. Did you know that if you print your postage at home, you can save a few cents? Seriously. As in 14-25 cents depending on the package + destination.]

bowl from Mexico holding paper on which I obsessively scribble lists

What's the simplest thing that makes you smile?

::predictable::

2012-02-07T21:05:00.000-08:00

So, I finally joined Polyvore.

I am a very predictable dresser.

Fairly straight-forward.

I'd love this outfit!

::coffee chat::

2012-02-07T09:10:00.000-08:00

Well, good morning, everyone!

This week is going to be great! If I were to sit down and have a chat with you over coffee, I would tell you....

....that I am slowly getting caught up on my 90 days challenge [reading the Bible through in 90 days]
::::
....the weather is cold -- not winter-like with snow but definitely not spring-like....I'm ready for spring!
::::
....that my parents are re-modeling the office. So therefore, our den is a hot mess. But it super exciting to get [officially] organized in that room.
::::
....I would ask you what you are doing about the fact that Google Friend is coming to end soon. Are you transferring your subscriptions over to another reader?
::::
....I would tell you that I am super disappointed that Picnik is closing. Seriously, I just want to round the corners of my pictures! I'm easy to please. :)
::::
....I would also tell you that my friends in Washington state opened up a shop! And they are on such a roll with their shop that they've already gotten a local shop to carry their products! Woohoo! Check them out here >>> Far Above Rubies
::::
....I would tell you that real life friends are amazing. And blog buddies are just as sweet.
::::

Have a happy Tuesday, everyone!!

::endless gifts 616-625::

2012-02-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm over halfway to the 1,000 gifts mark. Aaaaand, my cute little thankfulness journal is almost caught up.

616. my friend, Sarah
617. birds chirping in January
618. growth of new Christians
619. wisdom and advice
620. promises of God
621. guidance from the Holy Spirit through the Bible
622. provision for my needs every single week
623. productive days
624. a healthy Mom
625. hope for the future

::Friend Friday::Michelle::

2012-02-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy to introduce you to Michelle Hoover! She and I have met a few times. Our connection is that her husband and my brother are good friends. Also, I went to college with two of her sister-in-laws! Michelle is a beautiful girl and super-da-duper talented. She plays the piano extremely well, sings, and does fantastic design work on the computer. I'm very happy to have her here today!

Valentine’s Day … it’s such a cute holiday! I love how you can enjoy it with friends, family, or the one you are totally in love with! In college, we traded Valentine’s with other girlfriends that were single, (even though we were secretly wanted our OWN Valentine) we thought we would make the best of the situation. Here are some of the girls, from my freshman year, that I shared Valentine’s with …

It’s amazing how much you can change in four years! Thesegirls made college so much fun for me that first year! I was the only one therefrom my church, so they became some of my greatest friends.

When I think of themost important girls in my life, I think of my sisters. I am the oldest of fivegirls, and feel very matronly when I talk about them! :) Kimberly (20) is aJunior in college this year … so crazy! Natalie (18) is serving at my Dad’schurch in PA. Danielle (15) and Olivia (12) are up to something, but they aretoo young to text and call me, so I’m not even sure! :) My sisters and I have waytoo much fun together! There is never a dull moment!

Last February 14^th was the best Valentine’s Dayof my life. I met a man name Paul Hoover in September 2010 and my life drasticallychanged! We dated for a short time and on February 14^,2011 he askedme to marry him! Of course, I said YES! It was my first and only Valentine’sDay with the man of my dreams, who is now my husband! :)

I met Rebecca through my husband, Paul. Rebecca’s brother,Geoff, was Paul’s best man in our wedding. Paul thinks the world of the Gausfamily and talks about them often. Rebecca is one of the sweetest girls I haveever met! We have only had about three real-life conversations, but I know thismuch: she is a talented musician, a BEAUTIFUL girl, she is always a lady andcarries herself in such a respectful way, and a pretty amazing blogger! I wishyou a very Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Yay! What an awesome day to get engaged! Thanks for sharing, Michelle and thank you for your kind words.

Happy Friday, everyone!

::cuteness invasion::

2012-02-01T10:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, so maybe not the best picture on the planet but this is what I wanted to show you all!

While we were in the fabric store on Monday, there was a panel of fabric folded together all nicely. It interested me but I didn't unravel it. When my Mom walked past, she said, "Oh you can make little dolls with this fabric." Whaaaaaat?!

I was instantly smitten. Of course, my mind went first to our dear friend, Carol, who is having her first baby a few days before my birthday. Then, my mind went to my shop. I know I don't do children's toys and truthfully, have never entertained the idea. But this is just too ____________ [beautiful/gorgeous/wonderful/organic/amazing/astonishing/astounding/fabulous/terrific]......[fill in the blank]...to pass up. I have no words.

There are three other dolls and animals. I only had time to do one set before I had to break away and show you all this first set.

They will be offered in the shop sometime soon.

::In other news::
//It is a "balmy" 45* today. Last year at this time was a huge snow storm that crippled our entire metropolitan area for two days.//
//I discovered hummus yesterday. My world has been changed.//

::video while you wait::

2012-01-31T09:00:00.000-08:00

I have the most amazing thing to show you but I think I'll wait a bit.

My Mom and I went east yesterday to pick up more meat for our freezer. There is an Amish establishment about an hour and a half away and there we buy our meat and some bulk foods. The meat is healthy, hormone-free, antiobiotic free meat.

And there is fabric store there that we just love. So, YES, the amazing thing I can't wait to show you is from the fabric store. :) [...which I'm sure you find shocking.]

Meanwhile, I thought I'd share this video with you.

Inspiration much? Makes me want to go practice my cello for hours.

::winner::

2012-01-28T18:26:00.000-08:00

Congratulations, Debra. Email me your address and fabric selection and I'll get your package out to you. [rebeccagaus@gmail dot com]

WOW!

You all made this giveaway so fun for me!!

It was an absolute pleasure to see the entries rolling in. My phone was jumping up and down with all the incoming emails at times.

Thank you to all the new followers and subscribers.

As a thank you to everyone, please use the code THANKYOU for 15% off your order from now until next Friday night.

Happy weekend + Happy Sunday tomorrow!

I'm looking forward to church! :)

::chalk paint cards DIY::

2012-01-25T08:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had inspiration hit me.

Several months ago, I bought a pack of plain white cards. I've been sending them out plain -- they're great to just write a simple message in. But I've long wanted to embelish the cards; it was just a matter of what and when.

I've wanted to work with chalkboard paint since it first came out. What a neat invention! I already had a bottle of chalk spray paint from a project that failed.

Plain white notecards + chalk paint = idea

Now, this idea has already been utilized by someone on Etsy. I checked first. I thought maybe I was the first to come up with this idea. Ha....um no. But it was a nice thought. :)

It's super easy. The cards I purchased are a nice heavy cardstock and the paint did not bleed through.

Just cover the opposite side of the card that you do not want to be spray painted. [This is technically the back of the card.] I used painters tape to make sure the edge was crisp.

When you spray the paint, do it quickly...one sweep horizontally and one sweep vertically and that's it!

After about a minute, I removed it from this area and let it dry. I let it dry overnight which was less than the 24 hours suggested by the paint manufacturer.

Then, this morning I wrote a little something on the outside.

Something else to note:

I did spritz it with hairspray then slid the card in and out of the envelope to make sure the chalk wouldn't smear. It didn't. But next time, I'll try not spraying hairspray on the finished product. It made me nervous to see a splotch on my card but it did dry clear.

This was so much fun! And I definitely plan on spraying up a big batch of cards and have them ready to go. It's versatile way to embellish plain note cards.

ps....And the giveaway is still going. THANK YOU for all those who have entered. THANK YOU especially to sweet Jolene. She got the ball rolling for the giveaway and some of her readers have popped over here. Welcome to Cotton+Wood. I hope this site is a blessing to you.

::fabric giveaway::

2012-01-24T06:56:00.000-08:00

This week, I want to giveaway three yards of fabric (worth $25+).

I absolutely love the fabric pictured above. It is my fav-o-rite in the shop.

But you can have any combination of fabric from the shop if you're the winner.

Here is what you do to enter:

entry one:
subscribe to my blog through Google Reader or email or become a follower through GFC or follow via bloglovin

entry two:
like Cotton+Wood Shop on Facebook or Pinterest

entry three:
talk about this giveaway on your blog or Facebook or Twitter

Come back and leave a comment for each entry.

That's it! There should be plenty of options for you to enter and [hopefully] win!!

Giveaway closes Saturday night.

**GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED.**

::new this week::

2012-01-23T07:42:00.000-08:00

I am so very excited to introduce the newest product in my shop!! I have always loved these clutches with frames and determined a while ago it was definitely something I wanted to offer in my shop. I try to keep the premise of my shop to be products that I truly love and would use myself.

I started with a 4 inch frame and it is the perfect size to toss in your purse or larger bag. Inside is a small pocket to hold lipstick or something similarly small.

The frame is truly a great and sturdy frame. It will hold up well to wear.

Shop it here!

Another reason I am very excited about this product is that this is my very first pattern. It took about four tries. It wasn't necessarily fun to fail and fail and fail and fail again but the success was definitely sweet!

Have a lovely Monday.

It is quite dreary here but that doesn't change the outlook on my day. I am so excited about a new week. Sunday was another fabulous day in the Lord's house. I am so thankful for a wonderful church where I can be challenged in my spiritual life. I am also so grateful for the working of the Holy Spirit in my life.

On to another week, ya'll.....!

::small talk::

2012-01-17T21:29:00.000-08:00

Oh. I haven't much to say.

But these things have occupied my mind lately.

1. amazing sermons at church on Sunday. potential to be life-changing if I keep them in the forefront of my heart.
2. cello lesson on Tuesday night. ah. so much to learn. so little time.
3. moroccan mint tea [hot]. with honey. thankyouverymuch
4. bran cereal with honey and strawberries for breakfast.
5. friends. friends. and friends. grateful.
6. another dress for a baby girl. can't wait to meet that sweetie.
7. praying. praying. praying. It's amazing + humbling how the Holy Spirit speaks to a Christian through His Word when we are willing to listen + change.
I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons, Psalm 16:7 << reins gives the idea of submission. I can only expect God to guide me when I am submissive to His will. sweet peace. :)
8. working on a new product. working. working.
9. snooooooooooow in January. unreal.
10. 50 degree temps in January. unreal.

::Cotton+Wood shop update::

2012-01-13T06:06:00.000-08:00

Back in August, my first big fabric order arrived.

However, all of the fabrics that I initially ordered did not come in.

Recently, more of my original order made its way to my house.The new fabrics are now listed in my shop. There are some great pairings!!

Summer House by Lily Ashbury

Urban Cowgirl

::ten on ten::

2012-01-11T06:57:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to participate in Ten on Ten for quite a while. It finally worked out!

Here we go!

::good morning, beautiful day::coffee in my new favorite mug::

::sunshine through the trees::airport trip::

::Coca Cola on the way home::reviving a vase of cheerful daisies::

::cute little dress for a friend's baby::dark chocolate Hershey's::

::home from work::lovely candle::

::a visit::

2012-01-10T12:31:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in a post a bit ago that I had to blog friends coming to visit. Well, their visit has come and gone. I just dropped them off at the airport a few hours ago. It was a great delight to have them here. It was fun to show them around Chicago and my little town + meet people in my church [and a few other fellow bloggers].

Saturday, we zipped up to New Buffalo, MI. It was a windy, sunny, beautiful winter day. The shops were closed but it was fun to walk on the deserted beach.

Friday the three of us plus a friend whisked away to downtown Chicago where I did not pull out my camera once. But it was great fun, nevertheless.

I cannot get over the winter weather we have been having. It's bad for my brother's snow-plowing business but it's good for tourists and visitors. :)

Hopefully [prayerfully], snow will make an appearance on Thursday. We shall see.

Thanks Maggie and Kali for coming! It was a delight spending a few days with you!

::endless gifts 601-615::

2012-01-09T07:45:00.000-08:00

This year, I am using the word more to push me through this year. I don't have a list of New Year's resolutions, per se. However, I want 2012 to be a year of more prayer, more thankfulness, more obedience to the Holy Spirit, more kindness, more immersion in ministry and service to others,etc.etc.

Several years ago, I first heard the quote

What if you only had today what you thanked God for yesterday.

It struck a chord with me then and it still makes me pause and think.

I believe that no matter how thankful we are, there's room for more thankfulness.

When I actually begin to think + thank God for all the blessings in my life, it is easy to become overwhelmed. There is no way I could compose a complete list of thankfulness in one blog post.

601. new mercies from my Heavenly Father every day. [Lamentations 3:22-23]
602. the Bible, my Guide Book
603. the Holy Spirit, my Comforter. [John 14:26]
604. delicious food every day of the week
605. wonderful parents who love the Lord and want to serve + love Him all their lives
606. a brother who has the same goals as me -----> marry a godly mate + serve the Lord + honor our parents
607. a wonderful church family
608. a good job
609. modes of transportation to get me where I need to go
610. my five senses [sight, taste, smell, touch, hearing]...can you imagine not having one of those??
611. friends of like-minded faith
612. ministries to serve the Lord in through my local church
613. my salvation
614. an education
615. small blessings each day that are evidence of God's goodness

Now, I need to tuck my thankfulness journal in my purse and begin anew to use it more frequently.

::dinner downtown::

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

So, if my prayers are answered this year, meals like the one I enjoyed last night will be few and far between in the future. We had dinner at an amazing restaurant.

The service was ausgezeichnet, schön, and über pari.

The best part of the night was spending it with my grandparents.

They have been "the same" for so long and it saddens me to think they will not be here forever. None of us will, for that matter, but life seems so final and the moments so fleeting as dear loved ones get older.

::new year, new book, new snow::

2012-01-02T10:55:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's everyone!

With Christmas Day and New Year's falling on a Sunday, it didn't necessarily "feel" like a holiday. Each of those days were spent in church for me, which is the best way to spend those holidays.

My grandparents are here for a few nights then they will make their exodus to the wonderful Floridian world. Tonight, we are eating at a fancy-pants restaurant. My parents have been there recently and it sounds phenomenal. So I am saving up my appetite for dinner tonight.

Also, today we got a bit of snow. What a nice way to start off the new year. I'm a sucker for snow; I love it!! I'd love to get snowed in at least once this season.

I wanted to share a book with you that I received for Christmas. My beautiful Aunt Sue gifted it to me for Christmas. It's a journal, of sorts, and of course, I first heard of it on a blog.

It asks a question a day for five years. This should be fun to look through. In 5 years, I will be in my 30's [oh the horror!]. No really, I'm looking forward to my 30's but let's not rush it. :)

It's fun to look on birthdays of family members to see what my question will be.

On my birthday, this will be the question of the day...

So how was your New Year's?!

::creeping slowly by::

2011-12-28T21:59:00.000-08:00

This week has been slowly creeping by -- which is a very good thing.

There has been much happiness occuring this week.

First of all, I got to see those lovely ladies [my cousins] + Oma and Opa + Aunt Sue + my other cousin, John Ruben.

Second of all, I got my white watch. I haven't ever had a "nice" watch and I used some Christmas money to get one. Bliss.

Thirdly, Lawry's for dinner on Tuesday night with the fam. No pics to prove it, either.

Fourthly, let's all say it together -- organization galore.

This girl has been supa-busy organizing. I finally put away all, all, all of my teaching stuff, housewares and kitchen items that have been accumulated, and books, books, books. Everything is stored nicely in bins and put in storage.

[dusts off hands with a satisfied look]

Also...I found this pin....while decluttering....

I was so very, very proud of that pin when I was a little girl. My brothers were wrestlers and I loved going to their meets on Saturdays.

Now, the pin has found a safe and happy home on the pin board in my room. Hopefully, I never misplace it again.

And lastly, I get to babysit Friday night. I haven't seen the kiddos for a week now. I can't wait to see all their Christmas presents.

2012, bring it. I'm ready. This is going to be a fantastic year. I just know it and have been praying towards that end.

::Friend Friday::Rachel::

2011-12-23T11:43:00.000-08:00

Yay! Another episode of Friend Friday. Today, I'd like to introduce you to Rachel. I have actually met her. :) Last September, my brother and I made a trip to PA to visit the Sight and Sound Theater and also so I could meet a few of my blog friends at Lehigh Valley Baptist Church. There I met Rachel. She is now living in Botswana...but really, I should stop talking so you can hear from her.

Hi, I'm Rachel! I'm a 26year-old who is serving with my parents as missionaries to Botswana. Two yearsago when they began to consider moving here, they asked my younger brother andI what we would like to do. We both responded that of course we were going withthem! I mean, who wants to stay in the States when you have the opportunity tolive in Africa?

I've long loved Africaand her people, and though I don't know how long I'll be able to stay here (I'mstill waiting on my paperwork to come through), I'm enjoying every moment thatI can!

Botswana is a smallcountry in southern Africa, just north of the country of South Africa. It ismostly desert, but it has nice parts too. :) We live in Francistown, which isabout half an hour away from the Zimbabwe border. Because of this, we get towork with a lot of Zimbabweans too. We are about seven hours from a brother wholives in South Africa and about six hours from Victoria Falls. The longer Ilive in Africa, the more I am coming to view a six hour trip as a short thing!

As I said, my youngerbrother and I are here with my parents. I have two older brothers, both marriedand with several children. One lives in Pennsylvania and the other in SouthAfrica. It's a rare and special thing when we are all on the same continenttogether.

This Christmas isactually my third Christmas in Botswana. Rebecca asked me a few questions aboutwhat it is like to have Christmas here, so I hope you enjoy!

--How do those in Botswana celebrate Christmas? Is it much different thanAmerica?

The people in Botswanalove Christmas, but it is obviously celebrated a little differently! For one,the temperature last year peaked out at 120 on Christmas Day, so that's alittle odd to this Pennsylvania-raised and snow-loving girl! Since thebeginning of November, stores have been decorating with lights, tinsel, and bigfake Santas. They play Christmas music, and it is odd to be shopping summerfruits while listening to "Let It Snow" at the grocery store. As withmost holidays here, people celebrate it by going back to their home villages tovisit extended family. If they can afford it, there will be a big meal andgifts. Most people get some sort of Christmas bonus at their job, and use thatto buy up their supplies for the holiday. Of course, this includes a LOT ofalcohol. We live down the street from a big warehouse-style grocery store(think Costco). All day long, people stream out of the parking lot with cartsFULL of alcoholic drinks. This weekend there will be lots of long and loudparties. It is so sad to see that even though they might not understandChristmas, or even all the traditions that I normally associate with Christmas,they have got a good hold on the greed that surrounds the holiday. People willbeg, borrow, and steal as much as they can so that they can have a goodholiday. This means it is the most dangerous time of year for us, as Americans,because we are looked upon as the rich and wealthy. (If only they knew!) In theStates, I think this same thing is a problem, but most people can charge uptheir credit cards, looking for the 'perfect holiday.' Here, no one has creditcards, so they have to have the cash. We're extra careful right now, and won'tleave our house unattended until after Christmas.

Statistically, Botswanais actually one of the wealthier countries in Africa. They don't have the samepoverty that other countries struggle with and their education system is verygood. However, there is also a 50% HIV+ rate, and a lot of unemployment (also alot of refugees from Zimbabwe that will work for lower wages, which doesn'thelp create employment for the citizens). All this means there are lots ofproblems with depression and drinking. You can imagine how a holiday that issupposed to be happy and family-oriented could just be a sad reminder to somethat their life is not at all fulfilled. If only they understood the TRUEmeaning of Christmas! But that’s why we’re here. :)

--What do you miss the most about Christmas in the States?

I miss the coolerweather, the snow, and all the social things that usually surround Christmas atour church. Obviously, I miss the days of having all of my immediate family inthe same place for Christmas. :) One of my friends wrote me and said that theyare going caroling this week, our church just put on a Christmas cantata, andI've always enjoyed when Christmas fell on a Sunday, so I'm especially missingmy church family this year.

Last year, I reallymissed the baking that usually surrounds Christmas. When it is regularly over 100degrees and your poor air conditioners are working overtime, the last thing youwant to do is turn on the oven. It was unusually hot and dry (the rains had notyet started, which usually tempers the high heat), so we only did one day ofbaking sugar cookies. This year, the Lord gave me a special blessing by givingus one week of thunderstorms before Christmas. This means that the temperaturewas lowered and there wasn't really anywhere to go when it was raining so hard.We did a LOT of baking in that week, let me tell you!

--What are Christmas foods that you can duplicate in Botswana?

Just about everything.:) Of course, everything has to be made from scratch... completely! But thelonger I live here, the more I enjoy that aspect of things. I really enjoylearning how to make things completely from scratch. Thus far this Christmasseason, we've made Thin Mint Cookies, Poptarts, Carrot Cake, Sugar Cookies,several types of pies, and lots and lots of coffee drinks. Just about anythingfrom Starbucks, we've learned to duplicate. :) Ha!

Our Christmas menu thisyear probably won't be a turkey with all the fixings. Although that is'traditional' for our family, we have started to make some new traditions, nowthat we live in a country of summer Christmas. (And I've only seen a turkey forsale once!) Instead, we usually opt to have a big cookout, called a braai (bry).Our meal is decidedly Fourth of July in style - steak and chicken on the grill,baked beans, salads and maybe some homeade rolls for good measure. We haven'tyet decided on a dessert, mostly because it will just be the four of us onChristmas Day and we are traveling the day after, so we don't want a lot ofleftovers. We'll probably make some homeade root beer and some homeade egg nog.

One thing I can tell you- when you do learn to make things by scratch, you soon prefer that to theconvenient foods in the States. It just tastes so much better, and it's niceknowing exactly what is in the food that you are eating!

I thought it would befun to share one of my recipes with you, but since Christmas is in just twodays, I thought I would keep it simple. How about seasoned pretzels? These areeasy-peasy and a great thing to whip up for people to snack on while they wait forthe big Christmas meal to be finished. Or save the recipe for your New Year’sparty… or just make a batch for yourself. I can guarantee that they areaddictive. When we lived in the States, I made these all the time and it wasour favorite go-to snack. Since we can’t get pretzels here, much less bigsourdough pretzels, they are more of a special treat now. We always stuff a fewbags of pretzels in the top of our bags when we travel back and forth… they areso light and don’t take up much room. Then we ration them out over the year. However,we’ve been experimenting with sourdough lately and have a good starter that isconsistently growing. So hard pretzels is on our list of things to soon try. :)

Seasoned Pretzels

1 16-oz bag of hardsourdough pretzels, broken into pieces

(you could buy the bagof little nuggets to save time, but it is better to have the big ones brokenup, as it helps them absorb the dressing)

1/2 cup oil (I useolive)

3 Tbsp ranch dressingmix (we make our own from scratch… you can google lots of recipes for that ifyou don’t want to buy it. I always add extra garlic to mine :)

Mix the oil and dressing,then pour over your pretzel pieces. Stir them so that the dressing coats thepretzels well. Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees, stirring every fiveminutes. I usually leave mine in for twenty minutes, just because I like themsuper crispy. But you can take them out in just ten minutes or so if you prefer…totally up to you!

Try not to eat them allin one sitting!

All that aside, we all know that Christmas isn't about all the trimmings. Itisn't about the gifts or the parties or the special meals. It isn't about thedecorations or the music... it's about Jesus Christ.

The fact that our God -so powerful, so mighty, so awe-some - would come in the form of a tiny,helpless baby. Well, that fact just cannot be fully comprehended by my finitemind! The fact that our God loved ME so much that He would do that - it humblesme. Whenever I am feeling lonely or sad that I'm not experiencing"Christmas" as I grew up with, I spend some time thinking on thatthought. He LOVED me enough to do that for me. That truly is the meaning ofChristmas.

Merry Christmas to allthe Cotton+Wood readers! Thanks for reading my babbling. :)

ps...Thanks for the recipe, Rachel. I've had these pretzels before and they are delish but, I've never tracked down the recipe. I can't wait to make these s-o-o-n!

::basically...::

2011-12-22T13:57:00.000-08:00

...I'm a hack on my Mom's Mac. Yes, my Mom is the new owner of a MacBook Pro. She said I could use it whenever. I said....Uh, thanks. But, no thanks. I do not want to become addicted to the wonderful Mac world.

However, I have not blogged this week. Sad, sad news. So I resorted to using the fun, fun Photobooth feature.

Not that there isn't anything to blog about. The past week and a half has included but not been limited to:
--Christmas school play
--Christmas baking + distributing
--Christmas concert
--Christmas banquet
--Christmas shopping
--Christmas wrapping
--Christmas eating + eating + eating

But I thought I'd simply entertain you with the above picture.

Yes, I'm still a blogger.

Yes, there will be a Friend Friday post tomorrow.

Yes, I'm on Christmas break. [well, sort of...I have to work tomorrow morning.]

Yes, I'm going to my grandparents' house.

Is there anything else you'd like to ask me?

Ask away, darlings.....

::Saturday sweetness::

2011-12-17T13:00:00.000-08:00

This year, I have been wanting to use craft paper to wrap my gifts. Simple + pretty.

I saw somewhere on the webs a picture of craft paper wrapped gifts and tied with yarn. I got to wrapping yesterday and am quite pleased with the results. I don't think the chevron gift tag in the photo above quite matches.....:)

How is your Christmas shopping coming along? I am half-way done and of the gifts I have left, I know exactly what I want to buy. I think I may head out this afternoon and get everything finished!

I also wanted to pass along a discount code if you are a reader of Beneath My Heart. [hint, hint] Traci is such a sweetheart. [That's why I advertise with her.]

Also, Danielle did a product review for me and you can read about it here. I love my garlands. Several weeks ago, I visited a local antiques store and came out with some treasures of books. I can't wait to dig into them and make something beautiful. I'm just a bit hesitant that I don't mess up a very good thing.

Lastly, I have some blog buds that are coming to visit in a few weeks. Excited + nervous + happy + excited. :)

Oh....and woah, peeps. >>> Check out the follower button over there on the sidebar!! >>>Welcome, all you new readers. :)

::Friend Friday::Jolene::

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

The blogger for today is the sweet and lovely Jolene. I found her blog a while ago; I actually can't remember how, when, or where. But it's been fun reading about her life as a missionary to Ukraine with her husband and kids. I asked her a whole bunch of questions and she so generously answered them all.

Welcome, Jolene!

HOW DO THE UKRAINIANS CELEBRATE?

December 25^th is an ordinary day in Ukraine. Hard to believe, I know, but it is true. All of the Christmas holiday traditions Americans are accustomed to are celebrated here in Ukraine…. only at New Year’s. In America we have a Christmas tree, gifts, Santa Claus, a big holiday meal, etc… on December 25^th. The Ukrainians have a New Year’s tree, gifts, Grandfather Frost, a big holiday meal, fireworks, etc… on December 31^st. Christmas Day for Ukrainians is January 7^th. Why January 7^th? Because they follow the Julius calendar which puts Christmas two weeks later than we Americans celebrate it. However, Christmas Day here is just a religious holiday and celebrated on a very small scale in comparison to the way we celebrate it in America. But, I will tell you… we have nothing to boast about when it comes to celebrating New Year’s. Ukrainians, hands down, outdo us when it comes to celebrating this day on the calendar!

WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT CHRISTMAS IN THE STATES?

I miss family. My hubby comes from a big family of eight children. To date, there are already 30 grandchildren, and it is the hardest for us to know when everyone is getting together and we are not there. Those years that we are able to be together are just that much more sweeter, though!

FAVORITE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS?

I have a special place in my heart for a gingerbread man pillow I bought a few years ago and get out each Christmas. It reminds me of a time many years ago when my bus captain (I was a bus kid and my bus captain was just a college student) brought two stuffed gingerbread men to our home as gifts for my sister and I. The stuffed gingerbread men weren’t even new, but they were the first earthly gifts anyone from our church had ever given us, and he had come to our home specifically for the purpose of giving them to us. I will never forget how loved I felt that day.

BEST CHRISTMAS MEMORY

This is a hard one, but I would have to say that last year’s Christmas was the best to date. We were back in the states for me to give birth to our fourth baby, Micah. Since everyone else in hubby’s family are also missionaries, we are all sort of “homeless” when we are on American soil. Many of us happened to be back in the states for various reasons, and we wanted to get together for Christmas. But the problem was where? A little country church in Forney, Texas gave us their entire building, set up a large Christmas tree for us, gifts, stockings for all of the kids, and let us just take over. Classrooms were turned into bedrooms, using blow-up air mattresses and lots of the kids slept on church pews! What fun for everyone to be together! {And, I can’t say I’ve ever felt closer to Jesus on Christmas Day by being in church all day!}

[Christmas, 2010]

CHRISTMAS WITH KIDS

When you have children, everything about Christmas is magical! But some of the extras we enjoy on top of all of the customary traditions are giving the kids new pajamas on Christmas Eve to wear to bed that night. We also like to have a birthday cake for Jesus in addition to all of the other desserts on Christmas Day!

Many thanks, Rebecca for hosting me on your blog! Merry Christmas to you and all of your friends from your missionary friend in Ukraine!

With Love from Ukraine,

Jolene

Jolene has an amazing testimony and many of her extended family are missionaries, as well!!! Read her blog to get to know her better.

::inspiration::simplicity::

2011-12-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

If it was socially acceptable, this is how I would roll every single day.

White, long-sleeved t-shirt, scarf, denim/corduroy skirt [minus the glasses and the pony] plus a to-go cup of mint tea from Uptown Cafe.

Every single day.

One of the most common mis-perceptions of me is that I have a huge closet filled with tons of clothes, which to me is mildly amusing.

I like [crave, need] simplicity.

New Year's goals have already been on my mind. Have they been on yours? So it got me thinking....why in the world do we wait until January 1st to implement new habits or goals? Why not get a jump-start? Not a full-fledged pledge on December 15th but dipping a toe into the proverbial water of change.

The word more typically does not mean to simplify.

But if I said more simplicity, more contentment, more Jesus, more Holy Spirit obedience, all of a sudden, more of one thing means a whole lot less of another.

I think my word for 2012 is going to be more. More simplicity and a whole lot less fluff.

::Cold Hands, Warm Hearts Swap::

2011-12-14T12:07:00.000-08:00

I recently participated in a swap. I missed the Cold Hands, Warm Hearts swap last year. But when Ilene and Sandy mentioned they were doing another one, I jumped at the chance.

Actually, this is the second swap of the Christmas season.

The first swap was a bit of a dud...shhhh. So I was a bit leary about opening up my second package. In fact, I may have said I would never do another swap again and get burrrrrrrrrned like I did.

B.U.T., when I opened my package from Megan, my hopes were boistered that there are lovely swap partners in the world.

Looooook what I received....

...packaged so cutely.

Gloves!!! That I've worn already. I love them.

A big, fat bar of lovely smelling soap. I'm a sucker for bar soap, especially the fancy kind. This is right up my alley.

And last but definitely not least, a lovely, sparkly ornament.

Thank you so much, Megan, for such a delightful package. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart!

She has a shop where she sells some cute prints. Take a look!

...This one makes me chuckle.

I'm a hoot art print

...An adorable little love print

a little love print

...And I love state prints. Even though I'm not from Ohio [strictly a Hoosier, at the moment], this print is adorable!

Ohio art print

Have a wonderful, lovely day everyone. It's raining like the Dickens and there is no snow in the forecast for the next ten days. I'm not very confident this is going to be a white Christmas.

::friend friday::Kali::

2011-12-09T21:12:00.001-08:00

I am barely squeaking in Friend Friday. Friday is almost over...!

The internet was not working this morning due to a new phone line we had installed. Then after work today, we went to Chicago for dinner.

So here I am 45 minutes before Saturday. I'd like to introduce to you Kali from It's a Wonderful Life!

She is sharing with us a recipe!

Hello! I thought I'd share a recipe that we usually make around Christmas time. Caramel Popcorn...Yum! It's the perfect snack and it's great to give as a simple gift, too!

2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 sticks butter
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Dash of salt
8 qts of non-buttered popcorn

Mix sugar, syrup, and butter. Boil 5 minutes. (As tempting as it may be, do NOT stir while it's boiling.) Remove from heat. Add baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Pour immediately over popcorn. Mix until popcorn is completely covered with caramel and bake for 1 hour at 200 degrees. Put on wax paper, separate, and enjoy!

You could even take it to the next level by drizzling your favorite chocolate over it. Mmmm! We love this popcorn, and hope you will too!

That sounds delicious and I was just thinking about popcorn yesterday and how I would love to take Kali and Maggie to a very well-known popcorn place in Chicago when they come visit!!

Have a wonderful weekend!

::Christmas decorations::

2011-12-08T10:23:00.001-08:00

Today, I'm linking up with Gussy and the Inspiration Workshop!

The past several years, our family has gotten a fraser fir. I la-la-love those trees. No prickly needles for me! Apparently....we dumped all of our lights last year. So Dad had to run to the store and get some new ones. Among our new lights are small, round bulbs. I love them!! I was so excited to see a different strand of lights on the tree....a nice change.

My grandparents got my parents a new nativity set a few years ago. The old, familiar one is tucked away in storage for either my brother or I to take one day. It has too many memories attached to just give it away or discard it.

I love this centerpiece from our local florist in town, Shady Lawn. [I also happen to work a bit there each week....just a bit biased.]

A family that we minister to through our local church gave this sweet little figurine to my parents last week. I know it will always hold special memories for us.

These big thangs came from my grandparents house down in Mobile. Ah...I miss that place. And I don't think such perfect, large pinecones can be found up North.

On my way out the door to take a few outside pics....looking a little crummy. :)

A wreath on our porch door. We're a little wreath-happy around here. This is one of many....also purchased at Shady Lawn.

We have a [small] barn. It makes me feel like I live in the country. The wreaths on the doors seal the deal.

What's your favorite Christmas decoration?

For me, I love the decorations that we pull out year after year. I can't wait to have my own place, though, and pull out the things I have accumulated. :)

::good morning coffee chat::

2011-12-06T06:16:00.001-08:00

Yep, same coffee cup as last week. :)

So, the first thing I would tell you over coffee this morning is tonight...is my cookie exchange. I should be wild with frenzy because of all the things I have to prepare. But strangely, I'm not. That is a very good thing. I plan to finish this blog post and march upstairs and get cooking.

I would also tell you that yesterday was my Dad's birthday. We went out for dinner and on the way we saw about 12 cop cars. That is not a lie or an exaggeration. We saw six speeding down the highway and they had surrounded a semi farther down the road. I'm sure it will be in the papes today. Then, we took a wrong turn in a neighborhood and saw about six more at a house. Coincidence? Connection? I don't know but it was very interesting. My Dad is sooooOOOO awesome. I love him so much. There were lots of laughs at dinner, too.

The last thing I would tell you is that tomorrow will be 13 years since my Mom was diagnosed with leukemia. Our world was pretty rocked and that is a very nice understatement. The farther we get away from her illness, the more I am grateful for the gift of my Mom. So unbelievably grateful it makes me ache sometimes.

What would you tell me over coffee?

Linking up with Amy...

::zoo lights::

2011-12-05T09:23:00.001-08:00

Friday night, a group of us went to Lincoln Park Zoo to see the lights. I've heard that the zoo puts on a beautiful showing of lights but I've never seen it. That changed on Friday night. :)

It was great fun and the lights were spectacular.

We got there a bit later than we planned so I think we were just a bit rushed. However, we did walk the entire zoo and saw a few animals in the process.

This big guy got lots of attention. A few minutes before I snapped this picture, he had his head on his paw. It was.....cute.

I got some practice snapping lights at night photos.

We ate at Five Guys -- a first for most of us.

There were altogether toooooo many laughs.

It's a blessing to be with other fun, godly young people!

How was your weekend?

::Friend Friday::Maggie::

2011-12-02T06:01:00.001-08:00

Welcome to my newest feature....Friend Friday.

My first guest is Maggie from Maggie's Moments!

Thanks, Maggie, for taking the time to write something about Christmas and the Christmas season.

~The very name, CHRISTmas~

It is SO easy to lose sight of the reason we celebrate Christmas, between the gifts and food. I love that this holiday is focused around Jesus' birth, a great reason to celebrate!

~The Gift of Giving~

I LOVE picking things out for others that they would like. It truly is more fun to give than to receive!!

~Decorations~

From the Christmas tree, lights, tinsel, snow and everything in-between. The decorations are one of the things you can't go without! I love to drive around looking at all the Christmas lights on houses, something we used to do with my Grandparents when I was a little kid.

~Food~

Eggnog (Eggnog Chai Latte, more specifically), White Fudge Covered Oreos, Cranberry Sierra Mist.....I think I drink more soda during the holiday season than the whole year combined! Gotta love the Cranberry Sierra Mist!

~Music~

Music gets me in the festive mood! Favorite songs include White Christmas, Hark! The Harold Angels Sing, Angels We Have Heard on High and Joy to the World.

Yum! Yum! I love Egg Nog, too. :)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

::over coffee::

2011-11-29T06:19:00.001-08:00

Good morning! I've been up since 'o dark thirty. First things first, I brewed a pot of Community Coffee and added a touch [well, really a gulp] of Peppermint Mocha creamer to my cup. Christmas in a cup. Seriously.

Since we're chatting over coffee, the very first thing I would show you is THIS Christmas card. Hilarious. I was/am considering buying it and sending to friends. We. Will. See.

[check it out here]

I get a big chuckle every time I read it!!

We might get snow tonight. If we do and if it sticks and if my brother actually get to plow, I will consider it the first "big" snow. :)

I am in the most tremendous Christmas mood. And I must wonder why the Christmas season is so short. Today, invitations to a cookie exchange are going in the mail. I am super ----> duper -----> pumped to have a small get together. Besides all the fun Christmas activities at church and the decorations at home, one of the best things about the season in general is the excitement of the kids that I babysit/nanny. Seriously, their joy + excitement is contagious. Thursday is a big day. It's the day they get to open their Advent calendars and Jingle comes to visit. Plus, there's the Christmas party at the country club + St. Nick's day + birthday parties + so much more sprinkled over the next few weeks....I got the low-down on the way home from school yesterday. Their excitement is catching and very, very darling.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

Linking up with Amy over here....

::Christmas lovely::

2011-11-28T10:55:00.001-08:00

This Christmas, I was so determined to get a mini [real] Christmas tree for my bedroom. It sounded completely plausible to me. However, when the Christmas-tree-getting day finally rolled around, I wimped out. I didn't want to deal with the mess and the extra expense and I really don't want an artificial tree.

So this is the next best thing! My Mom gathered up the extra boughs from the Christmas tree when my parents cut it down last Friday. Today, I found some cute berry stems at Michael's for 50% off!!

As I travel, I've been collecting ornaments from different places. I only have three here as the others are packed away in storage.

This little arrangement is my festive, lovely Christmas decoration for my bedroom. Something lovely becomes ugly when we spend money we don't have to impress others. Someday, I will have my own place and my own Christmas tree. Until then, I will wait and rejoice in simplicity. :)

::the week::

2011-11-26T18:23:00.001-08:00

My Thanksgiving was ridiculously delicious.

I saw blue skies and puffy clouds............

..........flowering trees

...........and Christmas decorations mixed with palm trees.

I took walks............

..............and rubbed my feet in Southern grass. [I know it's not called that but that's what I call it. It reminds me of summers spent in the South with my other set of grandparents.]

Do you know the best way to do Thanksgiving dinner?

Eat at a buffet. There is ZERO pressure to eat all the food. There is ZERO clean-up and ZERO left-overs.

Bliss. Pure, sweet bliss.

How was yours? Did you get snow? I'm waiting for snow here in the Midwest.

::Happy Thanksgiving::

2011-11-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

::thankful list -- Kim::

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

There are several bloggers + shop owners that have been a blessing to me.

Kim is one of those special persons.I asked her to give me a list of 3-5 things she is thankful for. Here is her list!

1. grace - opportunities to give grace & undeserved grace received.

2. mountains - there is something special about feeling "small" on my way to work when I look at the mountains every morning. Our God is so big and sovereign, I can't fathom it most of the time (or ever!)

3. creativity - I'm so thankful I can give glory to my Jesus by using the gifts He's blessed me with.

4. my amazing husband - I'm such a lucky girl. He's patient, full of love and grace, and points me to the cross daily.

5. coffee - wouldn't get through most days without it! pass the peppermint mocha creamer, please.

**all pictures taken from Kim's blog.

Her shop is filled with adorable things.

Check out these functional + fun coffee cuffs!

Sometimes, Kim finds the time to put adorable boutique-style, one-of-a-kind headbands in her shop. I wish this one wasn't sold out!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving week!

::endless gifts 586-600::

2011-11-21T08:00:00.001-08:00

586. the Thanksgiving holiday -- time to sit back and take time just to thank.
587. wonderful grandparents and the blessing of their health
588. the holiday season [in general] and a perfect opportunity to give to others
589. my Mom's health -- in just a few weeks, it will be 13 years since she was originally diagnosed. God is so good!
590. opportunities to serve the Lord through my local church
591. the Bible -- my guide book
592. the Holy Spirit -- my Comforter and Strength
593. Jesus -- my Saviour
594. God -- my Heavenly Father
595. the blessing and opportunity to be a Christian
596. wonderful [very funny] friends
597. faithfulness of fellow Christians in my church
598. provision for my needs every week
599. my jobs -- all of them. :)
600. God's promise to me for the future -- For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end, Jeremiah 29:11

::inspiration::soldiers::

2011-11-14T11:54:00.001-08:00

The Christmas season is coming. The Christmas season is coming!

I am uber-excited for the holiday season [in general] this year.

Looking through magazines, reading crafting blogs, and participating in a Handmade Holidays Gift Guide has done a lot to get me excited for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and every day in between.

I haven't sent a package to a soldier through Any Soldier .com in a while and it got me thinking....

I'd love to send a few Christmas cards full of Christmas cheer to some soldiers.

How about you?

But if we want to do it, we'd better get hoppin' because it takes time for those cards to travel through the mail.

Soooooooooooo, I thought I'd start my first ever linky party. First of all, you have to get a soldier's address. Check out Any Soldier .com. There, you can pick a soldier numerous different ways. I always send cards to Marines. :) It's important to note that you can only receive two addresses per day and a limit of 10 per month. I've already gotten two addresses and will send my cards by Friday.

If you'd like to join, get [at least] two addresses for two different soldiers, make a card, buy a card, seal it up, send it, write a little blog post to encourage others to spread Christmas cheer to soldiers, then join in the fun here!

The linky party will be open until Saturday, November 19th.

Also, if you don't have a blog but would like to participate, leave a comment in the comment section that you joined in on the fun. :)

::just a few new things::

2011-11-08T15:33:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!I just wanted to let you all know about a few small changes I had Heather do for me.

First of all. Over there >>>> my media icon bar has been switched a bit to show a link to my Facebook page rather than my LinkedIn account. The media icon bar has also been updated in my shop, as well.

Secondly. On my home page, I have that nifty little "newsletter" button. Click that and subscribe! I have a new email subscription service. If you'd like to sign up for the newsletter, that would be great. I plan to offer a newsletter only special during the Christmas season, one you will not find on the blog, Twitter, or my Facebook page.

Third. I have a Custom Order listing in the shop. 'Nough said.

Fourth. Over to the right, there's a nifty little button and you can have posts delivered to your inbox. Swell news if you don't dig the reader route.

And that's about it....have a...

::inspiration::work hard::

2011-11-06T22:39:00.000-08:00

I get to spend Thanksgiving with these lovelies in Florida. Hel-lo, sunshine.

The five people in this picture inspire me to work hard. Three successful businessmen. Two successful Moms + cancer survivors [with the Lord's help + mercy].

I love 'em.

I've been thinking a lot this weekend about my shop. Where I want to go + how much I want to invest + and the ever-loving branding question. I think I may be the slowest blogger out there with branding. It's debatable.

I am super excited to be included in Kim's Handmade Holidays Gift Guide. Details forth-coming.

Remember I said I in this post that I planned to make a new wristlet design. Riii-ight. Well. I forgot to order zippers. And when I finally got around to it, the supplier I typically buy from was out. So, the new wristlet is coming. I'm sure you've been waiting with bated breath for it to come out [choke, cough, haha].

This week promises to be super-da-duper busy. It's gonna be great.

Happy Monday.
REBECCA.

ps...this picture was taken in St. Petersburg, Russia.

::we have a winner::

2011-11-04T19:46:00.000-07:00

::magazine pretties::

2011-11-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love receiving Country Living in the mail!

One thing I do not like is stacks of magazines sitting in my bedroom. So, I tear out the articles or pictures that I like for future reference. For several years, I have been putting them in a ginormous notebook. Truthfully, it's easy for ideas to get lost in the shuffle.

However, I got an idea that it would be fun to share them here on the blog.

That way, I can discard those bits of paper as well.

So, without further ado, my pretties from the month of November's magazine.

::I'd really like to do a frame with chalkboard paint sometime. This is a class act that would look great in a main living area.::

::What a great bold, unusual color for a wall next to stark white trim. Love the chair and the dog, too.::

::Hello, adorable chair.::

::A fantastic idea for a kid's room.::

::This would be fun to do to send left-overs home with guests. First, measure the top of the plastic container that you'll send food home in, the cut out circles of cloth a big wider than you measured with pinking shears. Stamp fun messages on the tops of the cloth. Secure with rubber bands.::

::One thing I've always loved about Country Living is how they promote small biz owners, particularly those on Etsy. Here's an Etsy shop they featured. Go visit her here.::

::And last but not least, they featured this old-fashioned barber shop in Birmingham, AL. It reminds me of the barber shop my brothers and Dad used to get their hair cut at. The barber always gave us [I thing]a stick of Wrigley's gum. Gotta love old-fashioned in this ever-changing world.::

ps...I plan to renew my subscription and get one free gift subscription. Who would like it? Leave me a comment [without your address, I'll contact the winner later] and I'll choose a winner on Friday.

HAPPY HUMP DAY.
REBECCA.

::31 days::the end::

2011-11-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

It's over! And I forgot to post yesterday [naturally].

Yesterday, I was busy making a huge handful of verse cards for my Etsy shop. This was my first venture into the online shop world.

The bookstore at my church has started carrying my verse cards [which is a huge blessing] and we have a youth conference here next week. Therefore, I needed to make more to stock up the supply.

The verse cards are pretty much one-of-a-kind as far as paper selection goes. But whatever does not get put into the bookstore will get put into my Etsy shop.

They're great stocking stuffers.

My overall conclusion for the 31 Days of Challenge.

It was very, very good. I feel a little lame-o for not finishing all 31 days.

However, I got several new products in the shop. I did a few items off the ever living to-do list and conquered a few fears.

There are still a few things I'd like to finish up like reading a Jane Austen book [boring, sorry] and make a photo book.

Happy Tuesday.
REBECCA.

::31 days::day twenty-five::

2011-10-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

One of the best things that happened to me today is that I was chosen to be a part of Oh Sweet Joy's Handmade Holiday Gift Guide. I'm beyond stoked for what the next few month's will hold + I pray that the Lord uses this wonderful opportunity to grow my shop.

Well, after receiving the confirmation email, I was in instant sew mode.

I've been wanting to put an new item in the shop for a while now.

Several months ago, I made a baby quilt for a lady in our church for the birth of her sweet babe. This is definitely a product I wanted to offer in Cotton+Wood.

I hesitate to call it a quilt for more reasons than one so I'm naming it the Bebe Blanket.

It's listed in the shop!

It's sweet and simple. Soft flannel on one side, cheery colors in cotton on the other. The batting is an all-natural, soy-based product. Perfect for a little one.

HAPPY SUNDAY.
REBECCA.

::31 days::day twenty-four::

2011-10-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

It's been a crummy sick day for me. Good thing I didn't have to babysit today because I spent a lot of time sleeping the crumminess off.

It'll be a good weekend, though; I am confident.

However, I did sit down at my sewing machine and attempt a prototype at a new wristlet. I sketched it out on paper earlier this week. Tonight, I did a test run on sample fabric. I'm really excited about it and hope to share it with you soon >> next week.

I just want something different for the interior fabric so we'll have to wait until I can purchase what I have in mind.

That is my challenge for today.

No pic because the sample fabric is weird and busy and you probably wouldn't get a sense of the actual design through just a photo. So until then....you'll have to wait and see. :)

The Houston Quilt Market is this weekend. I so wish I was going. I found out that a blogger friend is going and when I mentioned to her on Twitter that I'm hoping to attend the Spring Quilt Market, she said she may be at that one. My first meet-up with a blogger. How fun!

Until tomorrow [minus the crummy sickness...]

REBECCA.

::31 days::day twenty-three::

2011-10-27T22:50:00.000-07:00

Oh yah. Lame-o blogger today, yo!

First of all, this post is supposed to say that I made a recipe off my Pinterest board. However, when the recipe was thiseasy then, why bother pinning?

And second mishap for this post is that there are no pictures. So you'll have to believe me. Not sure if many of you do but it's true.

made

caramel

apples

drizzled

dreamy

chocolate

for

the

first

time

EVER

short

life.

And for a girl who is generally unimpressed with food, I ate mine with gusto and such a relish for caramel apples, I thought to myself, "You'd better not make another one or you will be sick."

Begone cheapy "Affy Tapples" from the store. Buh-bye. Heretofore and forevermore, I will take thirty minutes to melt the caramels and chocolate, dip and drizzle, set and refrigerate for a bunch of that goodness any time.

FRIIIIIIIIII-DAY, you're here!

REBECCA.

::31 days::day twenty-two::

2011-10-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

So I really wanted to do a pumpkin carving this month. This is something I've never done myself. We used to carve a pumpkin as a family when we were kids. No jack-o-lanterns have been found here, lately, though.

Well, a friend invited me over to her house to do some pumpkin carving together. It was great fun!

I wish I was a bit more prepared with my design but I like my pumpkin just the same.

Of course, it was super simple -- just my style. :)

I just punched holes in the pumpkin with an ice pick and I love the look. I had a difficult time keeping the candles lit for the picture so this is the best I could get. :)

My friend had something great going on with her pumpkin carving. She even borrowed her dad's drill. I can't wait to see her final result.

I've had this [partial] song in my head tonight and the words are thought-provoking.

Were it not for grace
I could tell you where I'd be
Heading down some pointless road to nowhere
With my salvation up to me...

Seriously, if it was not for God's grace in my life, where would I be?

The kids are on fall break --- yay! So I'm working all day tomorrow. :)

HAPPY [almost] WEEKEND.

REBECCA.

::31 days::day twenty-one::

2011-10-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

This challenge is getting loooooong. This was supposed to be posted yesterday but I fell asleep before I made it to the computer last night. :)

Earlier this summer, I was sewing and my Mom was reading a magazine. She came back to my room and said so enthusiastically, "Look at this material. Isn't it gorgeous? Wouldn't that look great on the back porch?"

I said, "Uhhh....I have that fabric."

No kidding. I really had it but hadn't made anything with it. So Mom commissioned me to make her several new pillows for the back porch.

Which I just got around to.

But they look great and I'm glad they're finally done!!!

One of my over-reaching goals for this month was to sew up a portion of my fabric stash and it is gradually happening.

I'm doing something fun with a friend tonight -- something that's on my "to-do-for-the-month-of-October" list.

HAPPY DAY.
REBECCA.

::31 days::day twenty::

2011-10-24T21:31:00.000-07:00

Today's challenge was one of those items that I've been putting off. Hence, the challenge. :)

Mending. Does anyone really enjoy it?!

I've had a few items of clothing that I have wanted to add a button to and with my sewing machine, it should be easy. Well, easy despite sewing on the button which gives me a tension headache. [I mildly joke.]

Two items were finished; one was not finished due to lack of thread.

Amen and amen.

Over and out.

REBECCA.

::31 days::day nineteen::

2011-10-22T20:03:00.001-07:00

Nineteenth day completed. I must say, I’d love to catch up on the three days I’ve missed. It’ll make me feel better about the whole “finishing the job” thing.

The reason for this post is 50% challenge, 50% for future reference. This is the second year that I’ve helped a very dear saint in my church with the flowers. And this is the second year that I have “winterized” the pots. The goal is to fill the pots with greenery found throughout our church property and decorate them with zero cost.

Last year, I did not record exactly what I put in the pots but I know that a few types of the stems looked absolutely despicable by February and I was desperate to remove them by March.

So hopefully, this blog post will help me remember for next year and I can remember what worked best.

::a full shot::

And, also, I claim no authority in naming these plants or materials used. I typically use very botanically correct terms such as, “…the green sturdy plant”, the “brown prickly one”, etc…!

I started with tall sticks for height directly in the center.

::Then, I started with a base plant. I’d saved a lot of pruning for winterizing the pots and I knew exactly which bushes I planned to use. There’s nothing attractive about the base but I just fill it in to cover up the dirt and get started.::

::Next, I put in these brown, prickly weeds. I really think they are weeds. Truly::

::Holly clippings came next. These should last wonderfully through the winter season::

::I found this low lying coniferous plant with cute, little pinecones on the stems. Several clippings went into each pot.::

::Lastly, I finished up with some hydrangeas cut from our garden. This particular bush has nice, upright stems so the hydrangea blooms won’t fall over.::

So there you have it. I didn’t stress nearly as much this year and it took me a relatively short amount of time. Last year, I labored over which types of greenery to put in the pots and I also had a large variety. I tried to keep it simple this time around. The first two pots on Wednesday took about an hour and half to complete. Thursday, three pots took the same amount of time which I considered fantastic.

One thing I plan to try different than last year is keeping the soil moist. So…even in the dead of winter, I may be pouring water on the pots. However, we will see…! :)

I can’t wait for a Sunday spent in church tomorrow. How about you?!!

REBECCA.

::31 days::day eighteen::

2011-10-21T19:44:00.001-07:00

Can you guess?

I got certified in Basic Fundamentals and Safety.

It’s a course I’ve been putting off for far too long and I said, “A-ha! October will be the month!”

Hallelujah it’s done.

I think there’s one clue in the puzzle.

Happy weekend!

REBECCA.

::31 days::day seventeen::

2011-10-20T20:34:00.001-07:00

Today’s thang…..

I finally, finally donated blood. People, it’s been ages. I was passionate about donating blood back in the day due to the fact that my Mom was a recipient of so many blood transfusions.

Then, I graduated to donating at the Univ. of Chicago when my Mom would go to doctor’s visits there. Hello, free dining hall coupons.

My last visit was no bueno. The lady couldn’t get the needle in my arm. And that was that.

So, when coming up with a list of things I wanted to get accomplished this month, donating blood was right up there.

Let me tell you why so many in my generation don’t want to donate blood. Plain and flat out, it’s an inconvenience.

From start to finish, I was there an hour and a half and trust me, a needle poking into a blood vessel for at least 30 of those 90 minutes is an inconvenience.

Young people really need to make the time to donate, especially if they live clean, upright lives. Good, healthy blood is needed!

Signing off….

REBECCA.

::31 days::day sixteen::

2011-10-19T12:22:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, our internet was down. I apologize for skipping yesterday’s post.

I really, truly want my bags to be different, and dare I say it….beautiful.
I’m still a beginning, newbie shop owner. There is still a lot I have to learn about sewing but I am so excited about the things that are happening in my shop!
Monday night, I was wandering around Jo-Ann’s and meandered down the trim aisle.
I got an idea and it resulted in this:

Allow me to introduce to you the French Garden tote! I love it!

Taking product photos is the bane of my existence and I don’t think these two photos do the tote justice. But I love, love, love this tote!
HAPPY WEDNESDAY!
REBECCA.

::31 days::day fifteen::

2011-10-17T22:02:00.000-07:00

Today's challenge was.......

...to fill in my gratitude journal.

When I originally started writing down my 1,000 Gifts in 2009, I began it in a beautiful journal. However, before long, instead of recording each and every gift on paper, it was only recorded on my blog. Not bad but not the best.

So, I wanted to put it all down on paper and continue it that way.

Boy, oh boy, this is taking a very long time. This is definitely one of the longer challenges and I must confess, I'm not completely finished before heading to bed. I still have a little less than 100 gifts to jot down.

But I'm so glad the bulk of it is done. And I want to continue keeping my gratitude list primarily on paper.

One thing I've noticed is that when recording solely on the blog, I tend to get a bit general. I'm sure in a journal setting, I'll be a bit more specific.

But re-writing the gifts has brought back some great memories [and laughs!]. I'm also recording the entire list in the notes section of my Facebook page so I have an online, running tally.

I'm so glad I'm taking the time to do this. I've been putting it off too long.

And I love the home for my gratitude list. Isn't that such a lovely book?

REBECCA.

::31 days::day fourteen::

2011-10-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

Sending snail mail to 5 lovely recipients.

A new ritual.

A new habit.

Wouldn't it be fun to surprise the recipient with a fabric or paper lined envelope?

Tutorial here.

I hope you had a lovely Sunday.

I did. :)

REBECCA.

::31 days::day thirteen::

2011-10-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

Challenge for today >>>> this tutorial from my Pinterest board! I did it! I did it! I did it!

I am so html, digitally challenged that actually succeeding at this tutorial makes me a very happy gal. I can't wait to try this again with other washi tape designs!

Happy Saturday!

REBECCA.

::31 days::day twelve::

2011-10-14T22:21:00.000-07:00

5 products.

5 days.

Day 5. [finally, whew!!]

I love, love, love the colors of this wristlet...super mucho!

It is named the Green Apple Wristlet because it boasts such bright and happy colors.

And...pockets, again!

Helloooooooooo, weekend.

Do you have any weekend plans?

Mine include, but are not limited to:

||church ministries||
||birthday party||
||church||
||chilling||
...We'll see what other grand things I can squeeze in. :)

REBECCA.

::31 days::day eleven::

2011-10-13T22:25:00.000-07:00

Tonight was a perfect example of why this challenge has been fantastic and helpful for me. I worked today then had church tonight. When I got home, instead of chilling, I knew I had to make a product for this challenge!

It was great motivation.

I whipped out another wristlet Stat!

This is called the Kaleidoscope Wristlet simply because the interior fabric is a happy kaleidoscope of colors and flowers. The colors are muted but I love it!

And I finally added a third fabric to the mix to jazz it up a bit. :)

Pockets are in this wristlet!

There you have it.

5 days.

5 products.

Day 4.

Over and out.

REBECCA.

::31 days::day ten::

2011-10-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

Tired of me yet?

HA!

5 days.

5 new products.

Day 3.

Much better success than yesterday.

I have been wanting to do a paper garland for a while and finally got around to it! And I love it!

Music Garland check it out here!

The music is from Sonata 5 from Joseph Haydn. I searched online a bit for the music history of this piece. I didn't find anything juicy or interesting to share.

I really enjoyed making this paper garland and would love to do more in the future.

Peace out, Wednesday.

REBECCA.

::31 days::day nine::

2011-10-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

5 days.

5 new products.

Day 2.

Utter and complete fail.

I should have taken a picture but didn't take one before work. I had a busy afternoon and prefer not to bore you with a yellowed-out image taken in a dimly lit room. :)

Just suffice it to say that after turning the bag inside out and having one more stitch to do, my only thought was, "It looks like someone threw up a whole bunch of colors."

Even for me, the color-loving, pattern-mixing girl, it was a BIT much.

And to top it off, I forgot to put in the magnetic snap which really sealed the deal that it was a terrible, terrible mistake of a bag.

Live and learn, I guess.

Goooooooooooodbye, Tuesday.

REBECCA.

::31 days::day eight::

2011-10-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

5 days.

5 new products.

Ready.

Set.

Go.

Goodbye, Monday!

REBECCA.

::31 days::day seven::

2011-10-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I dropped the 31 days ball. I knew I would. :)

Friday was a busy day and after attending a football game with a girl who comes to our church from LaPorte, I literally face-planted on my bed. It was ah-mazing. [Well, sorta...]

Then, I entered another sleep coma on Saturday afternoon. Not sure who I morphed into over the weekend but apparently sleep was on the agenda.

Therefore, no 31 days challenge.

However, I must say that through this challenge, I'd like to start a new habit. Remember last Sunday night's challenge?

Well, I'd like to continue writing letters to people every weekend. I honestly think I can find five people to write every weekend. Five people to send a little happy to in the mail or send a thank you, even it's not for a gift that has been received.

Everyone needs a little more snail mail in their lives.

Signing off.

See ya tomorrow.

REBECCA.

::31 days::day six::

2011-10-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

Day six already! Hopefully, I can stick with the challenge. I've got a busy weekend ahead of me.

I have the most interesting family. My Mom was raised pure Southern. My Dad is a full-blooded German. Therefore, I have eaten a wide range of foods, from grits and hominy to wuest [pronounced voosht] and rye bread. And I love it all!

Over the years of my parents' marriage, my Mom has learned to make the delicious German food that my Dad loves. Now, it is time for the third generation, my cousins and I, to learn to make this food ourselves.

Actually, I've helped Mom make buterglace before but have never made them myself, start to finish.

I volunteered today to make buterglace [butter balls] as we will be eating a lot of them now that we are into the fall season and the holidays are just around the corner!

They are quite simple to make and delicious to add to noodle soup.

::this is what makes buterglace so delicious::butter, cream, and eggs::

::this was my Oma's advice to me when I told her I was about to make buterglace -- roll them tight [roll sie fest] so they don't fall apart in the soup::

So easy. Quite delicious. Very bad for your heart and your diet. :)

REBECCA.

::31 day challenge::day five::

2011-10-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

I'm sure someone reading this post will roll their eyes and think Challenge? What challenge?

But for me, this month for me is about doing things that I have put off for a while or things that are actually a challenge for me to get done. Some are hard, some are easier but all things that I'm glad are getting accomplished.

Today was one of those easy days. :)

I've been meaning to stop by my Granny's storage unit for a while now. It's completely out of the way but it's the only place around here that has climate-controlled storage. Therefore, we drive out of the way for this particular storage unit.

I've been looking for a book and a map and I thought they were there. They weren't. I'm super disappointed that I lost these two treasures.

But, I did get rid of some of my things that have been taking up unnecessary space. Gotta love that!

I also snagged these two framed photos for the house.

I put this one in my bedroom. I don't think my Mom minds tooooo much. :) But this is one of my favorite pictures of my parents and Granny and Paw Paw. In this picture, my Mom is younger than I am currently. Yes!

And this picture, I put in the living room. Aren't my grandparents just the cutest? Seriously. Such a vintage, classy picture. And I miss my dear Paw Paw so much looking at this picture.

So that was my tough day five!

See ya tomorrow.

REBECCA.

::31 days::day four::

2011-10-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

Today! I went flying with my Dad. This was the challenge for today. My Dad took flying lessons when he was about my age then got too busy with work and providing for his family that it fell away. Well, earlier this year he took up flying again. Both my brother and my Mom have flown with Dad but I hadn't. It was getting to the point where I [almost] didn't want to go -- a slight hint of fear.

I decided to go flying this morning. It was a bit foggy when we woke up but as the day crept on, the fog rolled away and it has been a gorgeous day!

::my Dad::

::Dad is suuuuuuper meticulous. The flight check sheet sure made me feel better.::

::waiting to take off::

::me and Dad::

::me and Mom::

::two tootsie rolls to keep me occupied en flight::

::the colors on the trees will be absolutely beautiful in another week or two::

::pretty, orderly fields::

::the best part of the flight was flying over our family's bus route. We stop at that 4-way stop every Sunday morning::

That was my fun for today!

See ya tomorrow!

REBECCA.

::31 days::day three::

2011-10-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe it myself. I've blogged three days straight.

Today's challenge [which most likely will be repeated] is to make something off a Pinterest board. Let's face it, we all have way too many things pinned there and we need to start being creative rather than just looking at beautiful or yummy things!

Today, I made Pumpkin Muffins with Praline Cream Cheese. I found the recipe over at Amanda's blog, My Heart's Desire.

They are seriously yum and taste just like fall should -- warm and pumpkin-y. I think I put a bit too much pumpkin in this batch but they're still delicious!

In other Rebecca news, I won another giveaway. Nu-uh. Yes-huh.

And, and, and....it's from one of my favorite Etsy sellers, Katie Daisy. Thank you, Allie over at Miss Lovie for hosting the giveaway!

Here is the print I picked out.

I don't have a "sunshine" in my life [i.e. boyfriend/husband] however, I love, love the cute little song and the cheery colors of this print + I love the sunshine. Three winning combos, lemme tell ya!

So I had planned to hang it on my wall but then realized it looked just as swell on my desk. I love to look at it leaning up against the glass.

Today was a beautiful day.

It cannot rain in the morning. I can't wait to share my challenge with you tomorrow!

REBECCA.

::31 days::day two::

2011-10-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

Ooooooh, this has been a long, interesting, eventful, beautiful day. It will be wonderful to make it through this post with minimal typos.

One of my challenges is to write five letters. In this technological world, I think a hand-written note means even more to people. At least it does to me. I love, love, love receiving mail. It makes my day shine so much!

So I want to pass on a little love to some certain someone's with a little note in the mail. Actually, it may be more than five. :) I have some things to say....all positive, of course!

They will be written tonight -- before I go to bed. I wanted this post to be up before midnight hence the reason I'm blogging before doing.....and the notes will be posted tomorrow.

I'm super [high-five!!!!] stoked about Tuesday's challenge. Let's just say, Hopefully, it doesn't rain.

See ya tomorrow for day three of my favorite month!

REBECCA.

::31 days::day one::

2011-10-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

So, it's here! My favorite month of October, along with the 31 Days series. I'm super nervous about this goal. I've already been working on my list along with coming up with a multitude of ideas to keep me very busy this month!

My 31 days series is designed to get me out of the rut and challenge me! We all need a challenge at some point, yes?!

I have a whole list of ideas of things that I have been putting off to do -- goals for my shop, as well as personal goals.

I'm excited to see what will get accomplished in the month of October.

The first thing I've gotten done for my challenge is two new song visuals for my children's ministry at church. We always need new songs! And kids [and adults alike] looooooooove to sing!

I can't wait to use these tomorrow!

HAPPY WEEKEND.
REBECCA.

::whatsoever things are::

2011-09-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

I need to be reminded daily.

There is so much negativity on the internet, on blogs, in the news and sometimes, it just needs to be shut out.

Anyone else with me on this?

HAPPY TUESDAY, FRIENDS.
REBECCA.

::31 Days::

2011-09-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

Some who read my blog may have a read a little diatribe I wrote on Facebook about challenging myself. Sometimes, I feel like I'm stuck in a rut! Even though I stay very busy, it's easy to "protect" myself from challenging situations or doing things that push my limits.

I remember several "big" bloggers doing a 31 Days series last year. On Twitter this week, one of those bloggers mentioned the 31 Days series. I thought I'd pop over to her blog and check it out. Once I read her post, it got me thinking. I had just determined that I needed to challenge myself in some way. Here's my chance!

But first, I needed a plan. My initial idea didn't work out but my mind started spinning with all sorts of goals I'd like to see accomplished: goals for my shop, new products for my shop, projects I've started and not finished, organizing different spaces, and a few things off my bucket list.

I came up forty-two different items on my list and I'd love to add a few more before October 1st just to give myself some wiggle room and variety. Now, the goal is not to accomplish all forty-two ideas but I wanted an assortment of ideas because I know this will be tough. But that's part of the challenge!

Actually, I'll probably start real soon on some of the projects because they will take me a while to finish!

I can't wait to challenge myself and see how I do!

Have you been challenging yourself lately with any new projects? I'd love to hear!

HAPPY FRIIIIIIIIIIIII-DAY!!
REBECCA.

::magazine pretties::

2011-09-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

I love receiving magazines in the mail! I am currently a subscriber to Country Living and I love it. It's the perfect mix of country without being too shabby. And, many of the pictures are bright and colorful, which I love!

I am not a fan, however, of stacks of magazines sitting around a place. I have very limited space for magazines. So once I accumulate a small stack, I sit down one day and rip out all the ideas and pretty pictures that I like. I have a notebook where I store these pretties. Also, I recently started an inspiration board. A post about that needs to be done on that soon. :) I think you'd be surprised at how many advertisements there are in one single magazine. Frankly, it's quite ridiculous.

I'm a bit obsessed with maps and I'd love to have a wall for maps in my house one day. My favorite part of Google Analytics is looking at the maps. I've even become a bit better at my geography due to Google Analytics. Yes, indeed. I believe I have a ginormous map of Texas stuffed in a box somewhere. I think it was in my Granny's things when we moved her here to Indiana with us. My Mom has family in Texas and I'm sure Granny and Paw Paw used that map faithfully on their trips to visit family.

Pyrex!! I love it! Actually, I just despise plastic so much that anything old-fashioned like Pyrex is a guaranteed la-la-love item for me. My Mom has the blue Pyrex dish in the bottom left-hand corner.

Now, what is it about these pictures that is similar? Virtually nothing! But I love both bedrooms minus one thing for each picture. In the left picture, I dislike the quilt hanging on the wall. In the right picture, I despise the hideous blue throw. This is where I face a conundrum regarding my style. What is my style? I don't know because I love both bedrooms. They are both airy and bright and have lovely colors.

What is your favorite magazine? Do you diligently file away magazines or do you only keep selective portions like I do?

Oh....a new tote was listed in my shop! Check it out here!

Happy Wednesday.
Rebecca.

::sewing room prettiness::

2011-09-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, I read two different posts from two different bloggers about using mason jars or clear glass jars for organizing. They were such delightful posts to read and gave me an idea.

We buy [the majority of] our pasta and sauce from a sweet little Italian grocery store/deli near my dad's work. He stops by on occasion and stocks us up on yummy goodness.

So after reading those posts, I started collecting the clear pasta sauce jars. I just soak the jars in water for about 24 hours and the label and sticky glue comes off so easily. I must admit, I tried clear glass jars from major food producers and the labels were very, very difficult to remove. I think this Italian deli is still small enough that they conserve their glue...ha!

I have really enjoyed using the jars to organize my thread by color. Right now, the jars are sitting atop my fabric cabinet. But soon, they will have to find a home inside the fabric cabinet because the jars are starting to become quite the collection.

My pincushion. Ah! It has taken me a while to get accustomed to this pincushion. I used my Mom's pins and pincushion for the longest time but once she bought her machine and started sewing, I figured I'd better start using mine. :) I've become quite adept at sticking those loooooooong pins into that stiff little sucker. Hello, yellow, my happy color!

Books. Books. Books. I love sewing books. I've been steering clear of B&N for a purpose lately.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY.
REBECCA.

::Autumn Blossom tote::

2011-09-12T21:53:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to finally add a new tote bag to the shop! It's been too long!

The fabrics used in this bag are from my first, large fabric order. I had fun pairing fabrics together and I can't wait to sew some more combinations.

Upon request, a pocket has been added inside the bag. The pocket has interfacing sewn in because I don't like flimsy pockets.

I also added a Pretty Pin [Rosy Red] to the outside of this bag. I'm really excited to include a complimentary pin with the Autumn Blossom tote.

I look extraordinarily serious in this photo but it could be that I was staring into the sun. I was also a bit nervous being in front of the camera rather than behind it taking product photos. :)

So, here's the link >> to the new Autumn Blossom tote >> http://cottonwood.bigcartel.com/product/autumn-blossom

HAPPY TUESDAY.
REBECCA.

::Scripture prints::

2011-09-07T22:38:00.000-07:00

So, in the throes of my summer busy-ness, I entered a giveaway and forgot to check to see if I had won. The host of the giveaway, Danielle, sent me a little hint via Twitter. Score! I won a giveaway!

One of the shops featured was Naptime Diaries. I'm telling you, she has the most adorable prints in her shop!

There are two very boring walls in my bedroom that need to be filled. The wall in the picture above is one of them.

My Mom had these cheap white frames that were unused. So I popped two of three prints into frames and I was good to go! I'd still like something to go over my dresser but not exactly sure what, yet.

Don't you just love them? I do!

Happy [almost] weekend.
Rebecca.

::new mail service::

2011-08-31T23:28:00.000-07:00

I have a new email delivery service.

And, I need your help.

If you'd like to receive newsletters about the Cotton+Wood shop, please enter your email address below.

If you previously received a newsletter from my shop, you must re-enter your email address. This is an opt-in email newsletter! You must sign up for the newsletter yourself.

ALSO, I do believe that Kim still has the giveaway up for $25 to my shop + goodies from two other shops. Go -------> and enter! http://bit.ly/rn8Vvs

HAPPY THURSDAY.
It's church for me tonight and I'm excited!
REBECCA.

::Pinterest::

2011-08-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

I am a very visual person. I like to see things. Bookmarking websites and ideas has worked okay for me. I also star a lot of blog posts in my Google Reader. However, lists of websites becomes overwhelming to me and I find I do not use the ideas saved.

Pinterest is a fantastic website. I've had boards there for a while but I actually have to make time to pin things to boards. I'm definitely not a fanatic pinner and I do not spend hours and hours pinning.

Recently, I have been cleaning out the starred blog posts from my Google Reader that have accumulated over the summer.

Here is a sampling:

It's fun to see my "style" develop through different pictures I pin.

link here

Obviously, I have a board for fabrics that I love.

link here

I even started a board for different articles I read that would be helpful in running a blog and indie biz.

link here

And my favorite board is.....all the interesting things I want to make/sew/organize from around the blog world are all culminated here:

link here

So, if you would like an invite to Pinterest, please let me know!! I'd love to send you one.

HAPPY TUESDAY.
REBECCA.

::go enter my giveaway::

2011-08-23T14:59:00.000-07:00

I'm participating in a group sponsor giveaway/highlight on Kim's blog, Yellow Songbird.

If you win, you'll get $25 to spend in my shop. That's about 3 yards of fabric or 3 pretty pins or 2 pillow covers. Maybe I'll even have time to add a bag or wristlet to my shop soon. Wooooo!!

If you win the giveaway, you'll also receive a pretty, pretty necklace by Twillypop and a rosette necklace from Splendor.

So....go check it!

And...psssssst....there's a discount code over there. So hop on over!!

HAPPY TUESDAY.
HAPPY END OF SUMMER.
REBECCA.

endless gifts {576-585}

2011-08-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

Unless we are intentional about giving God glory throughout the day, our days unintentionally give way to grumbling. --Ann Voskamp

And I must admit, I've succumbed to grumbling lately. Even "nice" grumbling [off-hand comments about situations]...but it eats away at the soul. I need to be more intentional, more grateful.

Sunday was a beautiful day. The Lord continually blessed me with beauty and opened my eyes to see it.

576. a picture perfect Sunday
577. blue, blue sky with white puffy clouds
578. beautiful pink flowers woven into the edges of a cornfield [never seen this before and it caught my eye]
579. Sunday afternoon drive alllllllllllll the way home by myself -- time to reflect and praise God
580. heart-warming, encouraging music ---mmmmmmm!
581. a simple comment that was an encouragement
582. diverse friends -- all personality types, all Christians with a heartfelt desire to honor and obey the Lord
583. my online friends -- you know who you are :) -- promises of prayer for each other and encouragement with lots of laughter [via Skype] thrown in for good measure!
584. hymns and spiritual songs in the church service
585. the tender lovingkindness of my Heavenly Father towards me -- He loves me and He sure does know how to encourage me at just the right moment. Isn't that so like Him?!!

HAPPY MONDAY, almost Tuesday.
REBECCA.

::a day with myself::

2011-08-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

..that could also read, "A Date with Myself." [cheesy, but true.]

So, YES, I had the day to myself. Starting last night after church until later this evening, my plans were my own.

Ooooooooh, the plans I had made.

They included but were not limited to:

[1] sleeping in ----- >> pathetic when "sleeping in" is sleeping until 7:15 but yes, I did.
[2] watering flowers ----- >> my middle name is "watering can" in the summer....I tease but serious, big <3 there
[3] blog post and listing some important things in the shop ----- >> CHECK IT!
[4] finished my first wristlet ----- >> first one I've made since my class in June; more wristlets in the shop SOON!

[5] cleaning the house ----- >> always makes me a happy girl to scrub a few floors
[6] finding this in my mailbox, compliments of a giveaway I won ----- >> go visit her shop

[7] a free burger for dinner ----- >> that was possibly undercooked but very delicious
[8] and.....one of my favorite movies ----- >> gotta love high school football

.I. .am. .ready. for the weekend.
Bring it. :)
Rebecca.

[sorry for the pathetic photos -- not even Picnik could help me tonight.]

::It's here::

2011-08-12T07:27:00.000-07:00

My big fabric order is here!

Everything is listed in my shop with nice pictures....nicer than the one above, at least.

Go here to see the four different collections.

As you can see in the above picture, two collections have two different colors each and two collections have three colors each.

This is a small order compared to some I'm sure but it's a start and I am .so. .excited.!!

Happy Friday.
Rebecca.

endless gifts {561-575}

2011-08-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

So...it's been a while since I've posted a Multitude Monday. [deep breath....Here it goes.]

561. my family [duh -- they're awesome]
562. my friends [duh-- they're hilarious and just plain fun to be around]
563. learning life's lessons the hard way
564. flowers, flowers, flowers and the opportunity to help out at my church
565. ministries at my church
566. anticipation [!!!!!!]
567. the Holy Spirit leading me, guiding me, teaching me
568. Lorena, a sweet high school girl I spend my Saturday mornings with
569. peace, assurance, calmness from the Holy Spirit through prayer
570. my cello teacher [ahhhh....love her!]
571. the change that God makes in people's lives through the ministries at church
572. encouragement from others as I take a fun, exciting, [slightly] scary step in a new direction for my shop
573. homemade food and friends to share it with
574. vegetables from the garden
575. fresh flowers

HAPPY MONDAY, ALL!
REBECCA.

2011-08-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

Do you remember in this post how I talked about risk? I am NOT a risk taker.

However, to start fulfilling my dream, I need to take a risk.

At the beginning of the all-new Cotton+Wood, I explained a bit about the name change from My Bright Corner [blog] and Yellow Hope [shop] to Cotton+Wood.

To give you a nutshell version, I live in a creative desert. There are no cute fabric or paper shops in my town or the surrounding towns, save the big box retail stores. [Boo!]

So to get my name and idea out, I opened up Cotton+Wood online first.

Cotton = fabric
Wood = paper

I knew I wanted to sell fabric first. Since I took this week off work, I had the time to make my first order. It was a bit nerve-wracking. I had to narrow down my choices to a "measly" 13-14 bolts. Then of course all the What if.... questions popped into my brain.

All this to say...

I canNOT wait to show you the fabric I picked out.

I canNOT wait to sell the fabric in the shop.

I canNOT wait to make bags out of the fabric that will arrive shortly.

How's that for end of the week news?!!!! Boom!

HAPPY WEEKEND, FRIENDS.
REBECCA!!!