Life Undivided

Pinterest Addiction

2012-01-25T12:08:00.004-06:00

If you have noticed, I haven't been blogging much. I know, you're totally surprised, right? ;) I have been doing a lot of Pinterest searching, pinning, and recently, projects! Here is one.

Here is the pin where I got the idea (click pic for link to blog):

And here is my version for Vera's room:

What do you think? I love it!

Club Project: Are you with me?

2012-01-02T21:02:00.003-06:00

Have you ever fantasized about getting big projects done around the house but you just can't seem to find the time/energy/help to do it? I know I have. Here is an idea I saw on Pinterest and I want to get one going here in Huron!

The blog Jilly and Mia shared a great idea about a group they have called Club Project. Here is some info from their site.

"Made up of 6 handy girls, we take turns spending all day at one of our homes conquering things like updating cabinets, reupholstering sofas, wallpapering dining rooms, decorating niches, tiling back splashes, and refurbishing furniture.

Here's how it works.

Every sixth months, each member gets to choose a day that's convenient for her
(it's usually a Friday) and from 8am-4pm she has

a team of design assistants at her service.

The hostess is in charge of beverages, lunch (we break for 30 minutes at noon) and rounding up all the tools/equipment we'll need for the job. If one person can't make it, it's up to them to pay back the hours on their own time."

Love it? I know I do! I'm thinking that we could also alternate where one of the ladies watches the kids (if members happen to have them) each time so that we don't have to worry about childcare. Perhaps we could use our church for the person doing childcare so they didn't have to get their own house all messy.

Here are some ideas I have:
-Organizing/decorating/designing my craft space
-Mural in Vera's room
-Painting my clawfoot tub
-Spring cleaning

What do you guys think? Any takers?

Pinterest Stole My Blogspiration

2012-01-01T22:00:00.000-06:00

Wondering where I've been? Well, these days, I find that most of my free time is going to Pinterest and while it is a total time sucker, I also get amazing ideas that save us money and make life with a toddler a lot easier. SO... if you want to join me on Pinterest I would love it! :)

Let me know if you need an invite by leaving your email address in a comment.

After Six Years, A Christmas Letter

2011-12-23T21:54:00.001-06:00

Would you like to read our Christmas letter for 2011? I thought so!

Anderson 2011 Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas!

Book Review: Out of a Far Country

2011-12-23T21:00:00.000-06:00

The book Out of a Far Country recounts the story of authors Christopher Yuan and his mother Angela Yuan as they deal with Christopher's homosexuality. I thought this book would be interesting because it would offer an interesting point of view on a common issue in our society. What I found, however, was that the book was just depressing. I had to force myself to finish it.

It wasn't the subject matter that was necessarily inherently melancholy, it was that the presentation highlighted the gloom and despair and it took WAY too long to get to the happier times at the close of the memoir. I understand that it wasn't meant to be a happy book, and perhaps I should have read it at a different time, but it just struck me as unnecessarily depressing.

At the close of the memoir, Christopher comes to an understanding of his homosexuality. He believes he needs to be holy in his sexuality, not necessarily heterosexual, but holy. For him that means abstaining from homosexual sexual activities, but he definitely doesn't fall into the "pray the gay away" camp.

It was actually somewhat refreshing to hear Yuan's views on the problem with homosexuality being an issue of holiness rather than physicality. That being said, it certainly didn't redeem the book for me.

I give this book two stars out of five. I really didn't like it.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Book Review: 40 Ways to Get Closer to God

2011-12-23T20:45:00.000-06:00

I recently have had the privilege of reviewing a copy of 40 Ways to Get Closer to God, by Jerry MacGregor. What a wonderful little book!

The book is designed with very short daily readings followed by an action step that you can do to get closer to God. I loved this design because I get tired of Christian devotionals that focus solely on head knowledge when heart knowledge and action is also vital to a vibrant Christian faith.

One of my favorite parts, albeit silly, was that each day had a short area for you to write notes on whatever "project" you had completed. It also, much to the joy of my anal retentive heart, had a check box for you to mark the project complete. Could you ask for anything more? But seriously.

On another silly note, I loved the size of the book. Not only is it short in length, but it is small in size as well. It fits in my purse, or for guy, it could fit in a cargo pocket. I can easily see myself going through this devotional once a year if not more frequently. It is that much of a gem. Get one for yourself, you won't regret it!

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Publishers.

Miss Understood

2011-11-02T00:23:00.005-05:00

Man I hate that Miss Independent song, but Miss Understood is sure how I feel right now.

Ever had one of those moments where you want to slap your face at how very misunderstood you were? I had one of those today. I got called out by a family member who was accusing me of trying to tell them they needed to be quiet and submissive in order to get a husband.

Really? Do they know me at all? I mean, quiet and submissive are great and godly words that I wish I better exemplified, but as much as I want to claim them, they do not describe me very well. If God had made me wait to be quiet and submissive I would probably still be single. So, praise God that He saw fit to bless me with a spouse despite my lack of submissiveness.

I guess I'm just writing this blog because I'm hurt and I don't really know what to do. If you want to view me in my weakened state of self defense, go ahead. Here is the link to the post and my comments are below the post. Please let me know if you have any glaring insights on how to tiptoe this issue during Thanksgiving and Christmas...

Much love!

Imagine...

2011-10-01T23:36:00.009-05:00

The following post may be disturbing to some readers; I apologize. However, I still think you need to read it.

"Imagine for a moment, that Texas had managed to secede from the union, and that you live there, in the sovereign Republic of Texas. Imagine that shortly after independence, a cadre of old, paranoid, greedy men who believed in a superior military caste took over your newly autonomous nation in a coup. Your beloved president, who had big dreams of prosperity and Texan unity, whom you believed in, was shot, and now the army runs your country. It has direct or indirect control over all the businesses. It spends 0.3 percent of GDP on health care, and uses your oil and natural gas money to buy weapons that Russia, Pakistan, and North Korea have been happy to provide. It sends your rice and beans to India and China, while your countrymen starve. There is no free press, and gatherings of more than five people are illegal. If you are arrested, a trial, much less legal representation, is not guaranteed. In the event of interrogation, be prepared to crouch like you're riding a motorbike for hours or be hung from the ceiling and spun around and around and around, or burned with cigarettes, or beaten with a rubber rod. They might put you in a ditch with a dead body for six days, lock you in a room with wild, sharp-beaked birds, or make you stand to your neck in a cesspool full of maggots that climb into your nose and ears and mouth. If you do manage to stay out of the prisons, where activists and dissidents have been rotting for decades, you will be broke and starving. Your children have a 10 percent chance of dying before they reach their fifth birthday, and a 32 percent chance they'll be devastatingly malnourished if they're still alive. What's more, you and 50 million countrymen are trapped inside your 268,000-square-mile Orwellian nightmare with some 350,000 soldiers. They can snatch people—maybe your kid—off the street and make them join the army. They can grab you as you're going out to buy eggs and make you work construction on a new government building or road—long, hard hours under the grueling sun for days or weeks without pay—during which you'll have to scavenge for food. You'll do all this at gunpoint, and any break will be rewarded with a pistol-whipping. Your life is roughly equivalent to a modern-day Burmese person's.

Now imagine that you belong to a distinct group, Dallasites, or something, that never wanted to be part of the Republic in the first place, that wanted to either remain part of the United States, which had treated you just fine, or, failing that, become your own free state within the Republic of Texas, since you already had your own infrastructure and culture. Some Dallasites have, wisely or unwisely, taken up arms to battle the Texas military government, and in retaliation whole squads of that huge army have, for decades, been dedicated to terrorizing your city. You and your fellow Dallasites are regularly conscripted into slavery, made to walk in front of the army to set off land mines that they—and your own insurgents—have planted, or carry 100-pound loads of weaponry while being severely beaten until you're crippled or die. If you're so enslaved, you might accompany the soldiers as they march into your friends' neighborhoods and set them on fire, watch them shoot at fleeing inhabitants as they run, capturing any stragglers. If you're one of those stragglers, and you're a woman, or a girl five or older, prepare to be raped, most likely gang-raped, and there's easily a one-in-four chance you'll then be killed, possibly by being shot, possibly through your vagina, possibly after having your breasts hacked off. If you're a man, maybe you'll be hung by your wrists and burned alive. Maybe a soldier will drown you by filling a plastic bag with water and tying it over your head, or stretch you between two trees and use you as a hammock, or cut off your nose, pull out your eyes, and then stab you in both ears before killing you, or string you up by your shoulders and club you now and again for two weeks, or heat up slivers of bamboo and push them into your urethra, or tie a tight rope between your dick and your neck for a while before setting your genitals on fire, or whatever else hateful, armed men and underage boys might dream up when they have orders to torment, and nothing else to do. And though you've been sure for decades that the United States can't possibly let this continue, it has invested in your country's oil and will not under any circumstances cross China, which is your country's staunch UN defender and economic ally, so you really need to accept that America is decidedly not coming to save you. Nobody is.

Now your life is pretty much equivalent to a modern-day Burmese Karen's."

From "For Us Surrender is Out of the Question" by Mac McClelland

These are the people I am privileged to know and call my friends. The atrocities are great. We must never forget. Hope is alive and well with the Karen people.

"You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people." Genesis 50:20

Book Review: Suprised By Oxford

2011-10-01T00:00:00.003-05:00

I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book when I picked it. When it arrived I was even more skeptical due to the obvious length (over 400 pages). But I guess you could say that I was pleasantly "surprised" by Surprised by Oxford. Carolyn Weber weaves an intriguing tale regarding her journey to faith in perhaps the most unlikely of places. In a world where mothers warn you not to go to college and lose your faith, Weber actually went to the world's most renowned university and found faith.

Weber attended Oxford in the mid-nineties to obtain her Masters and Doctorate in English. During the time that she was there, she was forced to confront uncomfortable truths about herself and her worldview. She was also blessed by surprisingly non-cliched Christian friends and professors who showed her that being a Christian doesn't mean being uneducated, complacent, or naive.

Surprised by Oxford is at its core, a love story. It is a love story that involves a man and woman, but much more importantly it is a love story between a woman and her God. I was enriched, challenged, and provoked by the ideas presented in this book. It is rare to find an author who can weave literary concepts like foreshadowing, character development, and a sense of place into a memoir. Yet Weber manages to do just that.

While originally the task of reading this book appeared daunting, I could not put it down. I finished the book in under a week. I highly recommend Surprised by Oxford. It is an intelligent, witty, and memorable exploration of faith, family, and identity. I give it five out of five stars.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Thomas Nelson Book Publishers.

Another Random List Thingy...

2011-09-28T14:55:00.003-05:00

I stole this idea from a friend. I had a few minutes and thought I would answer some A-Z questions about myself.

{a} age :: 28

{b} bed size :: queen

{c} chore you hate :: dusting, dishes, vacuuming, laundry, etc. :)

{d} dogs :: only at the neighbor's house

{e} essential start to your day :: seeing Vera's face

{f} favorite color :: green

{g} gold or silver :: white gold

{h} height :: 5'1"

{i} instruments you play :: piano (badly)

{j} job title :: mommy and part-time staffing specialist

{k} kids :: Vera

{l} live :: Huron, SD

{m} maiden name :: Patterson

{n} nicknames :: Carebear, Squirt, Carrot

{o} overnight hospital stays :: when Vera was born

{p} pet peeve :: incorrect grammar

{q} quote :: Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly. ~ Rose Franken

{r} righty or lefty :: righty

{s} siblings :: none :(
{t} time you wake up :: usually around 8:00 or so

{u} university attended :: University of Sioux Falls and Baylor University

{v} vegetables you dislike :: cauliflower

{w} what makes you run late :: everything!

{x} x-rays you’ve had :: teeth, chest (bronchitis), stomach

{y} yummy food :: pizza, pasta, pretty much anything full of carbs and fat. :)

{z} zoo animal favorite :: Howler monkeys - I like to howl back at them and get them all riled up.

Vera's B-day Card and a Letter

2011-09-20T23:35:00.007-05:00

I just can't believe our baby girl is almost a whole year old. This year has been so fast in so many ways, and yet so slow in other ways. I think the first few months drag on and on. I still remember wondering if there would ever be a time that Vera would hold her own pacifier in her mouth! :) She always wanted her pacifier, she just wanted us to hold it in for her! I remember wondering if she would ever reach for objects, if she would ever talk, if she would ever crawl. Even now I am wondering if she will ever walk and I am quite certain she will accomplish that soon as well!

I blurred out the details of her party in case I have blurkers (blog lurkers)!

Dear V,
What a blessing you are, sweet girl. Your smile lights up a room. You have the cutest little wave that melts the hearts of every person you meet - even cranky teenage boys! Your laugh is contagious, even if you are sometimes a little stingy with it when we tickle you. Speaking of tickling, I've never met a baby that tries quite so hard not to laugh when tickled! Your face gets all red and you hold your breath and grunt - all so you don't have to giggle out loud! Silly girl!

You are not afraid of much of anything. This both heartens me and scares me. May God use that fearlessness to lead others to Him. You are also not afraid of trying new foods. So far you've liked just about everything we have given you! You have had salsa, Pad Thai, and lots of spicy Karen food. When the food is spicy you eat it and give cute little fake coughs afterwards to let us know your mouth is burning - but then you want more! I can't believe I'm admitting this, but you've even had a little decaf iced coffee. There is a story to go with that one!

We were at a coffee shop with Sean, Theresa, and Belle and you were so mad that we weren't giving you any of our coffee drinks. In order to pacify you and get a few more minutes with our dear friends, we did something we said we would never do, we gave you coffee (even if it was decaf). We thought that you would hate it and you would learn your lesson. Boy were we mistaken! Now whenever you see us holding coffee you think you need to have some. We haven't let you have any more, but you sure are cute when you try to hold up our empty cups to steal the final drop or two. :)

You love all people. Old people, young people, strangers, and everyone in between. You often reach out your arms to go to a stranger if they show the slightest interest in you. We have already watched God use your gift of hospitality and unconditional love. Never lose that, sweet girl. You have ministered to grieving families, brightened up the day of lonely people in the local nursing home, and you are always charming the socks off the Walmart greeter!

Your favorite place to socialize is church. You often cry when we leave church because you want to stay and be with everyone. As soon as we walk in the doors you are greeted warmly, and usually whisked away on an adventure by one of our youth or other young moms. You have a unique childhood opportunity that not many people get, Vera. Daily, you are immersed in another culture through our Karen friends. You absolutely love them. You love their language, you love their beautiful skin color and you love their music. I love watching you dance as they sing in church or at parties. I remember one party where you were dancing and clapping and the ladies who were singing couldn't focus because you were getting so rowdy! They were all looking away and trying not to laugh at your antics.

Speaking of singing, you love music! You even "sing" along with us when we sing to you. It is like a little humming sound that reminds me of how people sing when they forgot the lyrics to a song. It is so cute! Your favorite song is "Baa Baa, Black Sheep." You say "Baa Baa" right along with us. You also love "The Frog Song," which makes your Grandpa Patterson quite happy! You will get your little tongue going along with grandpa when he sings.

The girls in our youth group dote on you. And our teenage boys call you "little sister" in Karen. I pray that as you grow you will learn the Karen language. You already have a preference for Karen people! In fact, although we probably shouldn't, we sometimes joke that you are a little "racist" because you always get more excited when you see people of color. I hope that you keep your enthusiasm for diversity. Your Dad and I prayed that we would find a way to raise you with a global mindset and I can already see that God is at work doing just that. Never forget how blessed you are to be raised this way, Vera. It is a gift to be welcomed in wholeheartedly to another culture.

I could go on and on about how wonderful you are, but I could never write enough to describe all the joy that I experience being your mother. Your Daddy and I pray that God will bless you with many, many more wonderful years. May you grow into the beautiful woman of God that we hope and pray you will be.

All my love,
Mama

Self-Destruct Dip

2011-08-30T11:17:00.004-05:00

My aunt called this Lebanese loaf, but as there isn't any middle eastern spices in the dip, I think the term Self-destruct Dip is more apt. It is literally the best dip ever!

1 long french bread loaf, or round loaf - slice off top and hollow out, save top

Fill with mixture of:
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 c. sour cream
1/4 c. mayo
1 jar chipped beef, rinsed, dried and chopped
1 small can green chili's
1 chopped onion
2 pressed garlic cloves
1 c. chopped walnuts
(optional: finely chopped parsley)

Fill loaf shell, put top back on, wrap in foil
Bake 2 1/2 hours at 25o degrees
Serve with veggies or crackers

Tip from my aunt Mel: Don't use a mixer, just stir all together!!

This picture is not mine, I forgot to take a picture of the loaf, but it looks a lot like this photo. This photo is from here. I'm sure her recipe is equally delicious...well, almost as delicious. :)

Book Review: Smack Dab in the Middle of God's Love

2011-08-22T18:59:00.005-05:00

I recently read the book Smack Dab in the Middle of God's Love by Brennan Manning and John Blase. It is a delightful book about a middle aged couple named Willie Juan and Ana. Willie Juan and Ana love children even though they couldn't have any, and they welcome many children of all shapes, sizes and colors into their home. Ana makes sopapillas that are delicious and every evening the children join Willie Juan and Ana for a time of fellowship over the sopapillas. On one particular night the children ask a lot of questions about God's love and who God is. Willie Juan and Ana are happy to answer them and tell them that they are "Smack dab in the middle" of God's love. It is an adorable story with wonderful illustrations. I highly recommend it. My daughter, who is 10 months old, enjoyed the book even though there are a lot of words on each page. The writing is fun and it makes it a fun book to read aloud. If your child has a very short attention span, it might not keep their interest because there are a lot of words on each page. However, my 10 month old handled it, so I could be wrong.

I thought this book was wonderful and the message was a blessing. I also loved the multicultural nature of the story. It was a great message for our little girl who is growing up in a very diverse faith community. Overall I give this book a five out of five. It was a winner with our household!

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Thomas Nelson Book Publishers.

Book Review: Hearts Awakening

2011-08-10T17:23:00.002-05:00

Hearts Awakening is a novel by Delia Parr. The novel follows the story of Elvira Kilmer, an unattractive woman who long took care of her elderly parents only to be left alone and at the mercies of her cousins. Her "loving" cousin places her with Jackson Smith as a housekeeper. Jackson is busy fighting his own demons as he mourns the loss of his first wife and tries to raise his young sons. But as they get to know one another Elvira begins to realize that all is not as it seems. Jackson's first wife was not devout and her cheating left Jackson with many scars and trust issues. I don't know if that accounts for his cranky behavior which got really old over the course of the novel, but I digress. Elvira is also a little too meek as a character. She made me mad at times because I felt she was playing the "weak woman" character that is all too typical of Christian women in historical novels. It just made me a little sad. All in all, the love story between Elvira and Jackson is one of redemption and second chances. It was a good read even if it was a little on the depressing and meek side.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Book Publishers.

Book Review: Sixteen Brides

2011-08-10T17:05:00.002-05:00

Sixteen Brides, by Stephanie Grace Whitson is a charming novel about sixteen potential brides in Plum Grove, NE. The only problem is, someone forgot to warn the women that they were signed up to be mail order brides. The women arrive in Plum Grove and are surprised to find out that they were fed a bill of goods about their future in Plum Grove and the exciting things awaiting them. The only exciting thing awaiting them was marriage! But eight of the woman persevered with their original plans and decided to try to make a go of farming and owning their own land. They got adjoining properties and built a house to share and started farming and raising animals. The men in the area were shocked at how well they did and began courting the women.

I can't even begin to get into the various love stories going on in this book. It was complicated. And keeping everyone straight was the one downfall of this great book. I think she should have been a little less ambitious in her desire to try to follow so many of the women in one book. This would have made a great series, but as one book it is just exhausting!

I enjoyed this book, but remembering who was who was a lot of work. I give it a 3 out of 5. But this would have been a 5 out of 5 if it weren't for trying to cram it all into one novel.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Book Publishers.

Book Review: Within My Heart

2011-08-10T16:50:00.003-05:00

Within My Heart, a fiction book by Tamera Alexander, tells the story of Rachel Boyd, a young widow struggling to stay afloat as the now-sole owner of a ranch in the Colorado Rockies. On top of keeping the ranch afloat, Rachel is also struggling to raise her two boys. When circumstances lead her to the town physician, Rand Brookston, she is forced to trust that he won't be like her father (also a physician). All the while, Rand is trying to win Rachel's heart and help her with the ranch, all while trying to build a successful and prosperous practice. But in the process of building that practice he is forced to come to grips with the reason he was called into medicine. Was it for the rich who are now making their home in Timber Ridge, or was it for the poor ranchers and townspeople he encounters every day? As Rachel learns to trust Rand she is forced to reexamine some painful memories from her past.

All in all, the book was okay. I enjoyed it, but I didn't think it was very practical that Rand could have done all that he did in the book. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Book Publishers.

Book Review: Love's First Bloom

2011-08-10T16:36:00.004-05:00

Love's First Bloom, by Delia Parr is a wonderful and engaging book about Ruth Livingston, the daughter of a preacher known for his penchant for helping prostitutes to start new lives. Ruth's life is changed when her father asks her to take the daughter of a now-dead prostitute and raise her as her own. The catch is that in order to be a part of her father's intricate relocation program, she has to pose as a former prostitute trying to start a new life. Her father matches her up with a wonderful family who calls her the Widow Malloy and pledges to keep her secret about her past as a prostitute. Little do they know she knows nothing of that life!

When Ruth's father is accused of a terrible crime, Ruth has to feign ignorance of her close familial relationship in order to maintain her guise. As she seeks comfort by tending a garden, she meets a man names Jake Spencer who fails to mention that he is a reporter on the hunt for Livingston's mysteriously-missing daughter. As Ruth begins to fall for Spencer and Spencer for Ruth, secrets abound.

I enjoyed this book immensely. Intrigue, romance, redemption, what more can you want? I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend it. In fact, I may go read it again!

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Book Publishers.

Book Review: The Vigilante's Bride

2011-08-10T16:16:00.004-05:00

The Vigilante's Bride, by Yvonne Harris tells the story of Emily McCarthy and her journey to the Montana Territory to marry a man she has never met. When her stagecoach is robbed and she is abducted, the last thing she expected was that her abductor would also save her from a loveless marriage. Luke Sullivan knew he had to reclaim his inheritance and robbing the coach seemed the only way to do it, he just hadn't expected to end up with a abductee in the process. But he couldn't just allow Emily to marry Bart Axel, a notorious rogue. So he did what he could, he kidnapped her and took her back to his home, New Hope, a home for orphans.

Emily merges easily into life at the orphanage, helping with the children. But when she starts to fall for Luke, she realizes just how dangerous it is making Bart Axel jealous. I don't want to give away the good parts!

I enjoyed this book but I didn't feel like it had much substance in regards to faith. That was disappointing to me. For this reason, I give it 3 out of 5 stars. Good book, but it could be better.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Book Publishers.

Book Review: In Every Heartbeat

2011-08-10T16:02:00.006-05:00

In Every Heartbeat, by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a fiction book about Libby Conley, a well-adjusted orphan heading off to her first semester of college with her two closest friends from the orphanage, Pete and Bennett. Libby is studying to be a journalist. Pete is studying to be a minister and Bennett wants to major in "fun" and pledge to a fraternity.

The world is an interesting place when you are an orphan, especially on the cusp of World War I. Tensions from the war and the love triangle between Libby, Pete and Bennett, make for a novel full of suspense.

When Pete uncovers information from his past, he requires the help of both Libby and Bennett to make things right. As the trio tries to solve the shocking mysteries surrounding Pete and his long-lost family, they get closer than they ever imagined, and Libby begins to see how God may be changing her heart and asking her to exchange her dreams for His.

This is an interesting novel with an intriguing theme of redemption. I enjoyed the relationships between the three main characters and the complexity of each character as they struggle to find themselves in the midst of a changing world, and without the benefit of family. All in all I would give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Book Publishers.

Bleh...Starting Over

2011-08-10T14:58:00.003-05:00

I'm just going to say it. I'm tired of starting over.

I know, I really haven't had to do it that much in my life, but I am still weary of it. I am tired of saying goodbye to wonderful friends and trying to make new ones. I am tired of silly change of address forms. I am tired of unpacking boxes, updating our information and finding new physicians. I am tired of figuring out room layouts, deciding what to put in the kitchen drawers and trying to remember where I decided to put things in the kitchen drawers.

I guess all this weariness has carried over to my blogging habits. I haven't been too good as of late, have I? Don't answer that. And before I start waxing philosophical about all the craziness in my life, I'll just go ahead and say it: I'm tired of apologizing too. The blog slipped. I hope you still love me.

We moved to a new house! It is a pretty little 2-bedroom, 1927, 1-story home. We love it. We don't love the 185 foot sewer line. Seriously. Who, even in 1927, thought that would be a good idea?

I am staying busy with Miss V and part-time work doing HR as a staffing specialist with an employment service. I work about 10-20 hours a week and usually only 1 day outside the home. Pretty good gig, and great pay for a part-time job!

In my spare time I've been trying to get V's nursery done before her 1st birthday. It is looking more and more possible, but I'm bummed my Mom is going back to work (as a teacher). I think my progress has had a lot to do with the many summer days she has spent here helping with my little sweetie.

Church is wonderful. We love our congregation. We love the Karen people. We love the combination of cultures and ages. It is a blessing to do ministry here.

Well, that is it for now. I'm sure I'll soon be boring you with a few catch-up book reviews. Please forgive those! :)

I'm Taking Orders!

2011-03-12T17:50:00.003-06:00

I'm crafty once again! My crafting hiatus is over and Vera is finally independent enough for me to get a few things done here and there. Several individuals have contacted me recently to place orders. I am working to get pictures together, but some of my pictures are on our computer which is still packed away until we get our new house. The pictures may take a while, but here are some things that I make if anyone is interested in placing an order. If you want to see any of my items I will have a booth at the Huron Area MOPS Marketplace on March 22nd.

If you are interested in ordering something please contact me. My information is at the bottom of this post. Prices are listed. Pricing is subject to change. Discounts may be given for ordering multiples. Most items are able to be customized to your desired colors.

Tutus (sizes infant through 4T, colors can be specified) $15-$20 depending on size
Princess wands (can be matched to tutu color) $10
Crocheted headbands (child through adult) $8
Baby headbands $8
Hair flowers (appropriate for all ages) $6
Button earrings $5
Nursing cover-ups $18
Rice or Corn bags (great for warming up feet on cold nights, soothing aches and pains and warming up the crib before you put down baby) $8-$15 depending on size
Canvas photo frames (4x6 size, specify portrait or landscape orientation) $15
Wooden play sword (very blunt, colors can be specified) $15

Life Undivided Designs
Phone: 254-652-2577
E-mail: lifeundivideddesigns@gmail.com

Breaking the Ice

2011-02-04T23:24:00.002-06:00

So, I've been meaning to blog. I swear. I just keep running through my head all the things I have to cover in posts and it is kind of overwhelming. Once I finally get through my huge list of things that I need to cover I am usually exhausted and just put off writing for another day. Oh, and also, we don't have Internet at home so that kind of limits my abilities to write the dazzling prose you have all come to know and love. Insert sarcasm.

Here is a quick rundown. When I get the time, I'll try to come back to this list and fill you in.

1. We had a baby. I sort of feel like this could be the only item on the list and you would all understand why I haven't blogged in about 3 1/2 months. Vera Elizabeth was born on the 12th of October at 3:02 pm after 7 hours of Pitocin induced labor. And I didn't use any pain meds. I don't say this as a judgment against those who do (trust me, I DEFINITELY understand the appeal). I was just happy we were able to stick with that part of our birth plan even though I had to go through an induction. Vera was 7 lbs. 5 oz. and 19 1/2 inches long. She was, and is, perfect in every way. Such a blessing. Thank you Lord!

2. We moved across the country. Once again, this could be the only item on the list and I think you'd understand.

3. Our original plan for the house we were supposed to buy fell through... AS we pulled up to unload our moving truck. We are now renting the house we were going to buy and we just put in an offer on another house. Our offer was accepted, but our loan will be though the USDA so we are waiting on the government to approve the 2011 budget before we can get the house. Please pray that our ever-efficient government would get this one very important thing done in an expedient way. Here is the house that we hope and pray will soon be ours. :)

4. Marc is the pastor of First Baptist Church of Huron. Wow. This is a huge blessing and a big learning curve (more for me than him). Huron is the most diverse city in South Dakota! We love it! Our church is made up of Anglos and Karen people. To read more about the Karen and Judson, the American Baptist missionary who pioneered the Gospel in Burma, click here.

Okay, that is it. But I should also mention that Vera is a joy. She is so sweet and good natured (even if she does require a lot of cuddling). We are blessed.

And... I broke the ice on my blog.

Tomorrow

2010-10-11T19:25:00.001-05:00

So, tomorrow is the big day. We are getting induced. Crazy. I have so many emotions and thoughts running through my head right now. Please keep us in your prayers. We are very excited! And nervous!!!

I'm It!

2010-10-09T19:36:00.004-05:00

I got tagged by Sarah, so I get to answer these fun questions. :)

1. What is your favorite season?
Ooh! :) Well, I would have to answer this for the two places I've lived, because the answers differ depending on where I'm living at the time. If I'm in Texas, my favorite season is late autumn when the leaves are finally turning and the air is crisp. I just love wearing sweaters! If I'm in South Dakota, I would say that early summer is my favorite time of year. It is perfectly warm during the day and beautifully cool at night. You get the best of the warm weather while still being able to sit around an outdoor fireplace at night.

2. Congrats! You've won TWO shopping sprees! $1,000 to Target and $1,000 to Home Depot. How will you use it?
I LOVE this question, Sarah! I would probably want to wait to cash these in until we know (or can tell you, hint, hint) more about where we will be when Marc graduates in December. Because I wouldn't want to beautify our house and then leave it! But, I would probably use some of the Home Depot money to get power tools. I want a table saw, a circular saw, a Drimmel and maybe a drill press. I don't know if I can even get all that for $1,000, but in my dream world I can. :)

The Target gift card would probably be spent on new bedding and accessories for the house as well as just using some of it to buy our everyday needs so we can relax a bit with the new baby coming. I would also use some of the Target money for a new wardrobe once I lose the baby weight. :)

3. You have to quickly leave your house (and not go back), and can only take 5 things with you (humans not included, but animals are). What would you take?
I'm unclear as to whether I need to grab my lovely humans, but as long as they are taken care of I would grab our wedding pictures, my meme (blanket from when I was a baby), my cell phone, our computer and my purse.

4. Perfect fall Saturday . . . stay around the house for football and projects or go spend the day out?
This one depends on the day. I am going to cheat and say that I would probably prefer to go out for a bit and then spend the majority of the day at home with projects and my hubby. I like getting out of the house for a little while each day.

5. Routine or spontaneity?
Spontaneity! But I feel like spontaneity is a spice in life and it can be exhausting if you use it all the time, so you have to use it wisely.

6. What is your favorite desert?
Pretty much anything with chocolate. But if I'm going out, my favorite is Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie at Chilli's. So. good.

7. Best moment of your life.
Marrying my husband and best friend. But I have a feeling I'll be making a new favorite memory later this week when I see our baby for the first time. :)

8. Where have you seen/experienced God this week?
This week has been really good for me. I've been forced to take a step back out of my normal routine and spend some time intentionally preparing for the huge life change that is coming next week. I think I've experienced God the most in watching the way my husband has stepped up to take care of me and things around the house since I am being forced to take it easy. It has been a blessing to watch him love on me and it reminds me of the way I need to let God love on me rather than trying to do everything myself. I also received a very timely book in the mail from a far-away friend and that blessed me more than she'll know. :)

Now I get to tag people! :) If you see your name and blog address below, answer these questions on your blog! And be sure to let me know so I can check out what you write!

1. What are five things in life you have not yet experienced that you definitely want to experience?
2. If you could be from anywhere in the world other than your hometown, where would you be from and why?
3. What scares you?
4. What is one vice that you know you could never give up?
5. What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
6. If you could do life all over again and only change one thing, what would you change?
7. Who was your favorite celebrity as a child?
8. What is your mission?

"Maternity Leave"

2010-10-06T22:50:00.001-05:00

While I'm on "maternity leave," I've noticed that I have a lot of zeal for the idea of creating things. I readily admit that, thus far, I have had no follow-through. In fact, napping has been just about the only thing I've continued to follow-through on over the last few days. But, I guess that is the point of this whole "leave" thing, right?

On a personal note, my blood pressure is a little high. It is borderline high right now. In fact, it is exactly the threshold of "high" blood pressure in pregnancy. So, because of that, they haven't put me on total bedrest, they just told me to take it easy. So, I am free to craft all I want. The problem is finding the motivation to want to be crafty. Especially since our space is kind of crazy right now with the move and all the extra baby stuff.

But, if I ever get to these inspirational projects, I wanted to collect them here so I don't forget what it was that was oh so inspiring to a 38 week pregnant lady. :)

I will do my best to update you if I ever get around to any of these great projects. But, even if I don't, perhaps the list will inspire you!

1.

Swiffer Sweeper cover from Sew Much Ado

Travel High Chair from This Mama Makes Stuff

Gathered Clutch from Noodlehead
(although I think I would just use them as purse organizers)

Diaper Bag from Make Baby Stuff.Com

Book Review: Somewhere to Belong

2010-10-06T22:24:00.003-05:00

Somewhere to Belong is a fiction novel by Judith Miller. It centers around a young woman named Johanna Ilg who has lived in the Amana villages in Iowa her entire life. The Amana people are very similar to an Amish or Hutterite group. Johanna has grown up living a simple life and has always been very comfortable with that simplicity.

Berta Schumacher is a young, vivacious woman who comes to Amana with her family thinking that it is a short trip when, in fact, her family has decided to relocate to the Amana colonies. This does not sit well with Berta who takes pride in her worldly possessions and enjoys the freedom of flirting with boys and having unlimited personal freedom. But for her parents, the colonies are exactly what they need to feel like Berta is being kept safe away from outside influences.

As Johanna gets to know Berta and is placed in charge of her difficult adjustment into life in the colonies, Johanna begins to see that life outside the colonies might not be as threatening as she originally believed. And Berta begins to see that life inside the colonies might hold more excitement than she hoped.

But Berta and Johanna's family situations hold much more than either of them bargained for, and the story takes many unexpected and exciting twists and turns as the girls learn more about the secrets that families keep.

The story was interesting for me. I had some trouble getting into the novel early on, but once I got to know the characters it was an exciting read. I look forward to possibly reading other books in Miller's Daughters of Amana series. Overall, I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Book Publishers.

Book Review: Free Book

2010-10-04T14:02:00.002-05:00

I finished reading this book quite a while ago and have been holding off on reviewing it. Why, you might ask? Well, I just didn't have the passion to get my thoughts together on the subject.

Free Book is a book by Brian Tome. It focuses on freedom in and through Christianity. And it focuses on the ways that we willingly give up that freedom through religious piety, rules and restrictions.

To give you a better glimpse into the type of book we are dealing with, the complete title is Free Book: I am a fanatic about freedom. I'm tired of seeing people beaten down by the world's systems and by religion. God's offering real freedom. Get yours. Yep. That's the full title. I think that the title is important because it betrays a little bit of the edgy, new-church, hipster Christianity vibe that I feel Tome spends way too much time trying to kindle. I mean, you shouldn't have to try to be hip, you should just be hip, right?

The whole book felt a little like an exercise in someone trying to channel their inner Rob Bell. I was "over it' by the end of the first few pages.

I'm all about freedom and I'm all about the subject of this book. In fact, I completely agree with Tome that modern Christianity has become too religious and rule-driven and has lost the spirit of freedom that Christ intended. But, even though we agree, I still struggled through this book.

All in all I give it a 2 out of 5 stars. Harsh, maybe, but I just felt tired after reading this book, not energized. And any book that includes "coming at you hard" in the title is pretty much never going to get a 5 out of 5 from me.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Thomas Nelson Book Publishers.

Bootylicious Mrs. Meyer's Monkey Farts

2010-10-01T21:44:00.006-05:00

I knew that post title would make you want to read this, right? :) It has been a while, but I'm not even going to apologize even though I am feeling a little remorse. This has been a crazy few months. I have a feeling I might be saying that for the rest of my life! :)

Today I was put on bedrest by my OB. I'm pretty bummed because, being a "doer," it makes me crazy to think about sitting for any extended period of time. And by extended period of time I mean, anything more than a few hours. :)

I have a feeling this blog might see a little more action in the coming days and perhaps weeks if this whole bedrest thing continues. But, I make no promises. I will just do my best to update this when possible without making it another to-do list item. And that is super hard for a to-do list person like me.

On that note, I leave you with several random things:

I love the smell of Mrs. Meyer's countertop cleaner. I also love that it does a good job cleaning and contains natural ingredients. Mrs. Meyer's PR people, if you're out there reading this blog you should definitely give me some free product to review. I think it would be great to try out your baby products...hint, hint.

I love this candle I have. The scent is called Monkey Farts. :) It smells like carmel and banana and vanilla and butterscotch and is just plain heavenly. It is from a local candle company, but I'll try to scrounge up the info during one of my many trips from the bed/couch to the bathroom.
UPDATE: Here is the website if you want their info. You can't order online, but you can email her to order. :)

Did you know that a part of me cringes every time I write an emoticon or an exclamation mark? Really, it does. :) ! :) But I haven't yet found a way to assuredly convey the sassyness of my tone without the use of these silly marks.

Our Lifegroup, which is kind of like a bible study where we have fellowship and eat dinner once a week, has one sweet little member who just turned three. His name is Syler. Sy's parents have been in Lifegroup with us for over four years. This means that Syler has been in Lifegroup with us since he was in-utero. We have taught Syler many things over the past three years; our high point was teaching him to crawl. However, last night we may have topped that. Last night, the lifegroup taught Syler to say "bootylicious." It probably wasn't the right thing to do, but at the time it seemed like a really good idea. And BOY was it funny! He walked all over the house saying, "Bootylicious" with PERFECT diction. This may just become one of my favorite Lifegroup memories. If you want to see sweet Sy and his awesome parents, go to www.beingtherichardsons.com.

We took our prego pictures this week with our dear friend Mallory Kulak. She is one talented photographer! I can't wait to get our photos back from her. :)

My Hunky Man

2010-08-11T17:36:00.003-05:00

Look what I came home to today!

He is all mine! :) YUM! The way to a man's heart may be through his stomach, I don't know. But it is definitely the way to a pregnant mama's heart!

Addicted to the safe

2010-08-10T08:54:00.003-05:00

This was the verse of the day in my email inbox this morning. Something about the verse struck me differently today.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled."

It isn't about not having worries, it is about choosing whether or not we will entertain them. I am not good at this. I so often entertain cares and concerns, going from point A to point Z in a millisecond as my mind wanders over and around all the possible worst case scenarios. But that is not who I am called to be. I am called to "trust in God."

Sometimes I don't think I really do trust God. I don't know what it is about God and I lately, but I seem to (very erroneously) think I could plan things a lot better than He does. I know I'm wrong, ultimately, I'm just scared.

My devotional several days ago included a passage from C.S. Lewis' book "The Silver Chair." In the story, Jill, a little girl from our world, accidentally ends up in Narnia. She is very thirsty and comes up to a stream but notices Aslan, a lion and the God figure, sitting next to the stream. She is, of course, scared of him. He says to her, "If you are thirsty, you may drink.'' She doesn't move.

"Are you not thirsty?'' said the Lion.

"I'm dying of thirst,'' said Jill.

"Then drink,'' said the Lion.

"May I, could I, would you mind going away while I do?'' said Jill.

The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And, as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked a whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.

The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.

"Will you promise not to do anything to me, if I do come?'' said Jill.

"I make no promise,'' said the Lion.

Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.

"Do you eat girls?'' she asked.

"I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms,'' said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.

"I daren't come and drink,'' said Jill.

"Then you will die of thirst,'' said the Lion.

"Oh dear!'' said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.''

"There is no other stream,'' said the Lion.

It never occurred to Jill to disbelieve the Lion ' no one who had seen his stern face could do that ' and her mind suddenly made itself up. It was the worst thing she had ever had to do, but she went forward to the stream, knelt down, and began scooping water in her hand. It was the coldest, most refreshing water she had ever tasted. You didn't need to drink much of it, for it quenched your thirst at once. Before she tasted it she had been intending to make a dash away from the Lion the moment she finished. Now she realized that this would be, on the whole, the most dangerous thing of all. She got up and stood there with her lips still wet from drinking.

I know that I fear God more than I should. I fear that He is out to get me or is about to let the "other shoe drop." I definitely don't do a very good job seeing him as a loving Father or the One who wants to wipe away my tears. I just can't seem to get past His wildness--He seems so unsafe.

The command, "trust in God" is probably one of the hardest things for me to do.

If it said, "trust in self," I would be set! If it said, "trust in Marc" or even "trust in your family" I would have it made. But it says, "trust in God" for a reason. And even if, like Jill, I am terrified, I know that the only relief I can find from my anxious thoughts and worries is to sit at the feet of the one who is not safe, but good.

Do you find yourself addicted to safety too? Please join me in my prayer that we would give up our addictions to safety and learn what it means to not let our hearts be troubled, but to trust in God--even if He isn't safe.

Pregnancy Reflections, Volume 2

2010-06-23T17:45:00.002-05:00

Now that I've been rocking this pregnancy for about 5 months, I thought it was about time for another update. Here are some random thoughts.

-I've started to do things differently because I have no abs. For example I've totally changed the way I get out of the car, get up from the couch and get out of bed. I mean, it isn't like I had brag-worthy abs before, but now they are pathetically non-existent.

-People who know I'm pregnant smile at me and look at my belly. And depending on the shirt I'm wearing strangers either smile or stare. I think I might still be a little bit in that awkward, "Is she pregnant or just chubby?" phase. I'll be glad when that's over.

-Shopping in maternity stores is hilarious. Women checking out women...their bellies, that is. It is hilarious. I love that when I notice a pregnant lady checking out my belly I can read her mind. I know she is totally comparing our sizes. I guess it is the pregnant version of a guys locker room.

-Pardon my french, but where the hell am I supposed to buy underwear? Target doesn't have it, Walmart doesn't have it. I mean, I don't really want to fork over $14.99 for 3 pair at Motherhood Maternity. I live in the 16th poorest city in the nation, you would think they would have options that were cheap. I'm talking Hanes Her Way cheap, my friends. Am I just supposed to go commando?

-It is physically impossible to wash my hands at the sink without covering my shirt belly in water. Ridiculous.

-It is also physically impossible to eat pretty much anything without spilling on myself in a telltale track down the center of my shirt. Awesome.

-I feel the baby, her name is Vera, a lot now. She is pretty active around 3:30 in the afternoon and 10:30 at night. And when she isn't, I worry. And I know I shouldn't worry, but I still do.

-Marc felt Vera for the first time on Father's Day. Aw! :)

-Cheese is the best thing ever made. I love it. A lot.

That is it for now. I'll add more as I think of it. Thanks for reading!

The New Addition

2010-06-03T08:28:00.003-05:00

Here are the newest additions to the Anderson household. Don't you love them! I found them on Craigslist for only $75 as a pair. AND the sweet owner dropped them off at our house for free and even sent me these great photos. I think they will be perfect for a nursery for our sweet little girl!

The dresser and wardrobe are going to get a fabulous makeover and I just can't wait to get started! Does anyone have an electric hand sander we could borrow? :)

Book Review: She Walks in Beauty

2010-05-30T18:47:00.003-05:00

The book "She Walks in Beauty" by Siri Mitchell was a surprisingly good read. When I first received the book, I was not sure what I would think because the back cover description was very enigmatic. But the book was enjoyable.

The story centers around a young woman of 17 named Clara Carter. At the start of the book she is busy learning all that she can from her governess. But rather than learning the intracacies of Victorian society and how to dance and flirt, Clara is learning science, mathematics, and literature. In fact, Clara is doing so well that her governess is sure she will be ready to secretly try for acceptance into Vassar College--her only way out of officially debuting in society as an eligible female. Clara and her governess are hoping to beat the clock. She is supposed to debut after her 18th birthday.

Little does CLara know that life has other plans for her, or rather, her aunt has other plans. When CLara's aunt learns that one of the most elligible bachelors in New York is going to be looking for a bride this season, she jumps at the opportunity to usher Clara into society early and assures Clara's father that Clara will be the lucky lady that the suitor selects.

The following weeks and months are filled with lessons, frippery and Victorian silliness for Clara. Once the debut season begins Clara embarks on a battle for the hand of a man she doesn't even know, and her main competition is her best friend Lizzy. Lizzy and Clara promise to be true to one another throughout the season, but when the heir and his younger brother turn out to be different than they expected, their friendship and promises to test their friendship and their families.

Thrown in with all of this drama is the drama within Clara's family. As Clara becomes the socialite of the season, it becomes obvious that there is more to her family than she ever realized. And she learns that somehow her father, a doctor, is connected to the pain and devastation in the immigrant slums of New York City. And it could be that very connection which is keeping Clara in the public eye as the darling of the season.

I don't want to ruin the novel with more explanation, but suffice it to say, the novel is quite interesting and kept me up late one night just to finish the story. I will also say, that although it is very interesting and ends quite well, there were some frustrating loose ends that really needed to be wrapped up in order to maintain the integrity of Clara, the main character.

Even with that criticism, I would rate it a four out of five. It was a great story and I found it easy to loose myself within the beauty and tragedy of the Gilded Age.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Book Publishers.

The Nugget Poll, Part 1

2010-05-28T11:18:00.003-05:00

The Nuggster is doing quite well as far as I can tell. I "popped" yesterday and I am feeling pretty huge. I know that I will laugh at this post in the coming months, but it is how I feel. I can actually feel my belly stretching! Crazy.

We find out a little more about the Nugget on Tuesday. We are going to try to see if it lets us know if it is of the male or female variety. We're hoping the Nugget isn't too shy with this important piece of information. :) I'm thinking boy and Marc is thinking girl. We would be happy with either, we just want to know!

What do you think? Vote in the poll on the right sidebar. Time is running out! The mystery will soon move on to "Does the baby have hair?" and "Will the baby get the famed Anderson nose?"

So vote now before the mystery is history. Wow...that was lame.

But seriously, vote. It makes me happy. :)

Pregnancy Reflections Volume 1

2010-05-19T11:25:00.004-05:00

Now that I've been rocking this pregnancy for a few months, I thought it was about time for an update. Here are some random thoughts.

-I think it is funny that people pat my belly. I COMPLETELY understand the urge to pat a rounded prego belly, I myself often have the same urge when I see pregnant acquaintances. I just think that being the pregnant person, it is a weird thing to get used to. That being said, if you see me, (edit: and actually KNOW me) feel free to pat the bump. I have no problem with the belly touching, it is just weird to suddenly surrender part of yourself... then again, I should probably get used to that now.

-I may or may not be feeling the baby. (Stop reading if the thought of bodily functions is disturbing.) It could just be gas. Either way, I'm ready for "really" feeling the baby. After several months of not a lot of pregnancy symptoms, I'm ready for this to all start feeling real. I mean, beyond the fact that my pants don't fit. :)

-Don't ever tell a pregnant woman that she is showing early unless you are SURE she will take it as a compliment.

-Tailbone pain sucks. Darn you South Dakota childhood and all your episodes of breaking/bruising my tailbone.

-Drinking so much water is hard. I am BAD at drinking a lot of water. Plus, drinking the water means going to the bathroom more, and I'm finally enjoying the second trimester break from the constant urge to pee!

-Don't laugh at me, annoyingly smile or pat my head when I tell you I want a natural childbirth (in the hospital, but with no drugs). Don't patronize me, people. I know it won't be easy, but I also know that people all over the world do it. I know it will hurt like I've never hurt before. But I also know that this is what we want and I could really use some positive voices on the subject rather than a bunch of downers. As a side note, don't assume that by saying I want a natural child birth that I am somehow saying you are less of a mother because you did not go the natural route. Just let me be me...you be you.

-I just slept through the night last night for the first time in months without having to get up to go to the bathroom. What a blessing. I know it won't last long, but the reprieve was nice. It also made me worry that something was wrong with the baby. I hear that this is normal, however.

-I love cheese. A lot.

-I am struggling a little with my body image. Being overweight to begin with, my pregnancy bump has a little extra padding. I'm just looking forward to the day when I sit down and have one belly bump instead of two. The belly button dividing line isn't cute in my opinion. Too much information? :)

-The hardest thing to give up during pregnancy has been spray paint. No, not huffing it! I miss being able to effortlessly transform household objects on a whim. Now I have to have Marc do it, and let's be honest, he lacks my expertise in the spray painting skills department.

That is it for now. Hope you enjoy my reflections, rants, etc. Thank you all for your support. I have some crafty things in the works, I've just had to put that on hold while we had family in town. Yay for family in town, though! :)

Book Review: Never Say Never

2010-05-18T18:47:00.003-05:00

In Never Say Never, a book by Lisa Wingate, the heroine Kai Miller is trying desperately to escape the craziness of a Texas hurricane. In the process, she runs into some unlikely friends. Donetta Bradford and her elderly comrades are traveling from their small-town of Daily, Texas to Perdida, TX to leave on a cruise ship. When the hurricane puts their trip on hold and their lives in danger, their paths cross with Kai and they team up to beat Mother Nature. Their adventure, sometimes scary, sometimes heartwarming, leads them back to Daily where Kai is forced to stay temporarily until a safe route opens up to get her back to Perdida. In the meantime, Donetta Bradford's nephew begins keeping company with Kai and sparks fly.

I wasn't overly impressed with this book. It was okay, but once the flooding and fleeing was over, I started to lose interest. I also felt like the conclusion to the book was a bit rushed and seemed somewhat unlikely. I know, it is Christian fiction and unlikely is the name of the game, but I still prefer stories that seem plausible. All in all I give it 3 out of 5 stars. It was a good read, but I probably will never pick it up again.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Book Publishers.

Book Review: The Rewards of Simplicity

2010-05-18T18:30:00.004-05:00

The Rewards of Simplicity by Pam and Chuck D. Pierce is an interesting exploration of the meaning of simplicity in our culture and how we as Christians should exemplify simplicity and peace. I can warn you ahead of time that this will be a short review. I just didn't' have much to say about this book, either positive or negative. The book didn't give me any strong feelings or anything that I really feel are worth exploring in this review. So, I'll keep it short and sweet.

The book is divided in half into Pam's portion and Chuck's portion. This is important for several reasons. First, I found that just when I got used to Pam's narrative style, it switched to Chuck's section. Second, they are very different writers both in style and approach. I much preferred Pam's approach to the subject. I struggled to even finish Chuck's portion of the book.

All in all, it was a mediocre exploration of ideas such as Sabbath, simplicity, peace, anxiety and materialism. I appreciated the topic, but I didn't feel that the book gave me any practical skills or examples on how to really simplify my life. For that reason, I give the book a two out of five. I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Book Publishers.

Book Review: Closer

2010-05-18T17:53:00.004-05:00

For this book review I had to employ the help of my hubby of four and half years, Marc. Closer is a couples devotional by Jim and Cathy Burns. If you are like me, you read the phrase "couples devotional" and threw up a little bit in your mouth. Don't worry, if you are part of a "couple" and you hate the typical "couples" devotionals on the market, this book might just be for you.

Jim and Cathy Burns divide this devotional into 2-3 page chapters that focus on a specific topics related to relationships and faith. The devotional is very narrative based and many of the entries tell stories from the Burns' past or stories from other couples. But the thing that sets this devotional apart from other devotionals of our past was the questions at the end of the chapter.

There are two sections at the close of each chapter that help you as a couple "dig deeper" into the topic in question. The first section is called "Faith Conversations" and it contains questions for couples to ask and answer. Here is an example: "When was the last time we had a significant conversation?" For the most part, they are deep questions. Marc and I call them coffee shop questions; the kinds of questions that you want to ask over a yummy iced latte (or your drink of choice).

The other section is called "A Step Closer" and it gives an activity that you can do as a couple to apply the things you talk about in the "Faith Conversations" section. Here is an example: "Decide when would be the soonest time, as a couple, that you could take a short sabbatical...for reflection, rest, refreshment, restoration, and recreation..." This section helps you to do what you learn rather than just talk about it. Very cool, in our opinion.

And the best part is that you can do one devotional a day, or one a week, or pick it up when you are able. I think devotional time as a couple is very important, but I know we haven't always been consistent over the course of our marriage. This book, by not dating the entries or telling you when you should do them, takes off the pressure and allows you to focus on God and one another, not your sense of guilt. Also very cool, in our opinion.

Overall, I give this book a five out of five. If you are a couple seeking a devotional that isn't all about women submitting to their husbands and is a lot more egalitarian, this is for you.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Book Publishers.

The Silent Governess: A Book Review

2010-05-04T15:53:00.002-05:00

The Silent Governess, by Julie Klassen was a delightful book. Set in the English countryside of the 19th century, it follows the story of Olivia Keene. When Olivia returns to her family home one evening to find her mother being strangled by her father, she quickly hits him squarely on the head. Assuming her father dead, Olivia flees the area and finds herself outside the walls of Brightwell Court during a party. As she stops to gaze at the party-goers, she overhears a conversation through an open window. Before she knows it she is being held captive by Lord Bradley who doesn't want the "message" she overheard to spread.

Bradley makes Olivia into a family governess to keep her, and the secrets she heard, close. As Lord Bradley spends more time with Olivia he falls in love with her. But in the process of falling in love he realizes that her life may just contain more secrets than his, perhaps even secrets that intertwine with his carefully guarded past. In the process of falling in love, Olivia must confront her past mistakes and learn the truth about her family.

It was hard to review this book without giving away too much information! The book was rich in imagery and very enjoyable. I give it a four out of five stars.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Book Publishers.

I'm (ahem) We're back!

2010-05-03T16:35:00.003-05:00

Wow! It has been a crazy year so far and I have a feeling it will only get more crazy! Sorry for the LONG absence, but it was for a great reason! Marc and I are expecting! Our little Nugget is due sometime in late October. Here are some images from the baby's first two photo shoots!

We have an amazing doctor who let me come in for a second early ultrasound just to reassure me since he knows I am a worrier. What a great guy, huh?! The first image is at 6 1/2 weeks and the second is at 8 1/2 weeks.

Now is the time for predictions. What will it be boy or girl? We will find out in June!

Beguiled: A Book Review

2010-05-02T16:48:00.000-05:00

I recently read Beguiled, a book by Deanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand. It is a mystery/inspirational romance that follows the life of Rylee Monroe, a dogwalker. Yep, you read that right, she is a dogwalker. I was skeptical at first. I mean, what kind of book is so silly as to center around a dog walker, but once I got past my initial misgivings the book was really quite delightful.

Here is a brief synopsis. Rylee walks dogs in a ritzy neighborhood. Logan Woods is a local reporter. He mostly does crime reporting. He eventually crosses paths with Rylee when he is investigating some "Robin Hood" thefts in the ritzy part of town.

When it seems that all the thefts seem to be pointing directly to the lovely Rylee things start to heat up. You see, she works for most of the crime victims.

The rest of the book is a lot of sleuthing and gum shoeing. If you like a good mystery and you like a good romance, this might just be the perfect book for you. All in all I would give it a 3 out of 5 stars. But I'm not that into mystery.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Book Publishers.

Spring it up with a moss-covered ball!

2010-03-26T21:05:00.006-05:00

If you're like me, you like to have greenery around the house. But if your like me, you may not have the most *ahem* green thumb in the neighborhood. This project might just be perfect.

What you need:

- Wood or Styrofoam balls (mine was wood with a flat bottom, but you could do a full circle too).
- Preserved Moss (mine was from Michael's - on sale too!)
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Step 1: Get out your supplies. :)

Step 2: Start pulling pieces of moss off the sheet. Put down a little glue and press down the moss. Note: For the perfectionists out there, do NOT freak out. There is no magical "right amount, just break off a bit. You'll cover the naked spots in a minute. Press it down tightly.

Step 3: More glue. More moss.

Step 4: This picture is just to show the view from the bottom. I was making this for myself, so I didn't worry about the bottom. If you were going to make one as a gift I would finish it off with a circle of felt.

Step 5: See the little naked spot at the bottom? Cut just a bit of moss with your scissors and glue it in place. Then play with the fibers a bit to hide the "patched" moss.

Step 6: Using your scissors, trim the moss on the bottom so it is nice and neat looking. If you were making a perfectly round ball with no bottom, you could skip this step...obviously.

All done! That was easy! You'll be amazed at how much heft the moss adds. Make sure the balls you purchase are smaller than your desired finished product. Here is the finished ball with an unfinished ball just for comparison.

I still haven't found the perfect place for this cute thing to live, but I'll try to keep you updated.

Sorry for my blogging absence. It has been C-R-A-Z-Y around here!

I owe you an apology

2010-03-04T13:40:00.002-06:00

I'm sorry faithful blog followers. I have been negligent with my blog posts. I have many excuses for this bad behavior, but I have decided to not feel guilty. I will be back to my normal posting pace as soon as humanly possible. But never fear! No posts does NOT mean no crafting! I will have plenty of updates to share when I get around to finding a working internet connection...and some free time...and... You get the point!

In the meantime, try making some homemade deodorant along with me! Here is the recipe I'll be using. Much healthier than yucky aluminum!

I Have a Camera!

2010-02-13T19:45:00.007-06:00

Look what I got! It is a Canon SX20. While it isn't a digital SLR, it is pretty much the next best thing. I picked this camera by Canon because it has an awesome optical zoom range (20x zoom), good megapixels (12.1mgpx) and a 2.5 in vari-angle display screen. Basically it means it takes awesome pictures and with the vari-angle display, you can take those ever-popular self or couple-portraits with ease!

See!

It is also really easy to just pick up, point and shoot. That is important for my husband who values ease-of-use over just about everything else. :) The next photo was taken by our lovely friend, Jalon. We had a fun dinner out tonight with friends. It was great!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I may be making one of these tomorrow! :)

Image and tutorial from Crap I've Made.

I Got a Blog Award!

2010-02-08T15:59:00.008-06:00

I received this award from Bekah at Bekah's Bytes.

The rules for this award are rather simple. All I have to do is answer the following questions with a single word answer and then pass this along to five bloggers.

(1) Your Cell Phone? Blackberry

(2) Your Hair? Wavy

(3) Your Mother? Caring

(4) Your Father? Hilarious

(5) Your Favorite Food? Italian

(6) Your Dream Last Night? Random

(7) Your Favorite Drink? COFFEE

(8) Your Dream/Goal? Motherhood

(9) What Room Are You In? Office

(10) Your Hobby? Creating

(11) Your Fear? Seclusion

(12) Where Do You Want To Be In Six Years? Midwest

(13) Where Were You Last Night? Dianna's

(14) Something That You Aren't? Carefree

(15) Muffins? Chocolate

(16) Wish List Item? Home

(17) Where Did You Grow Up? Midwest

(18) Last Thing You Did? Photoshop

(19) What Are You Wearing? Clothes

(20) Your TV? Stored

(21) Your Pets? Oscar

(22) Friends? Supportive

(23) Your Life? Complicated

(24) Your Mood? Excited

(25) Missing Someone? Family

(26) Vehicle? Impala

(27) Something You Aren't Wearing? Necklace

(28) Your Favorite Store? Anthropologie

(29) Your Favorite Color? Green

(30) When Was The Last Time You Laughed? Today

(31) Last Time You Cried? Today

(32) Your Best Friend? Theresa

(33) One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? Bed

(34) Facebook? Yep

(35) Favorite Place To Eat? Carino's

Without further ado, my awardees (it is a word, I just made it one). As you can tell, I follow a lot of blogs and I love every single one! So I thought I would honor a few of the blogs that make my day. These are all blogs of friends and family who live far away, so thanks for keeping me up to date on your life!

Collin and Candice Bullard - Thanks for keeping me up to date on life in the UK. Miss you!

The Hageys - Thanks for being such amazing friends. I can't wait until we live closer!

The Pattersons - I love you guys so much. Thanks for letting me be a long-distance auntie!

The Locketts - Every time I visit this blog I lament that we didn't get to know one another better while you were in Waco.

Woods Life - Same goes to you, girl! I sure wish we would have spent more time together! Your blog is an inspiration.

Answer the above questions on your blog and pass on this award to five blogs you are "digging" right now.

I would love for each and every one of you to pass on the blog award and continue this "chain letter" phenomenon. So please know that if you do not continue the chain, one or more of the following things may happen.

1. Hair loss
2. Constipation
3. Permanent loss of the ever-elusive "luck factor"
4. Weight gain
5. Nausea
6. Compulsion to purchase Beanie Babies

I don't make this up, people. The facts are the facts.

Quit laughing. I'm serious...

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: A Review

2010-02-04T17:40:00.006-06:00

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years is the newest book release by author, Donald Miller. You may remember him for his book Blue Like Jazz. In his newest release, Miller invites us on his journey of self exploration and discovering the true meaning of living life well.

Miller's journey begins as he is approached to help write a screenplay for the movie version of his book Blue Like Jazz. The book follows an episode in Miller's life and is entirely non-fiction --more of a memoir or Annie Dillard style musing. Miller decides he would like to help with the project and is confronted with the idea that he must rewrite parts of his story in order to make the movie a smooth journey. Simply put, his story--the one he lived and breathed--wasn't good enough to make a good movie.

As Miller realized this and worked on the screenplay, he gradually learned the elements of a good story--and in the process he also learned what his own real life had been missing.

Miller's book was wonderful. I love his style and his ability to mix true life changing concepts together with his twisted and hilarious sense of humor, wit and sarcasm. He is a breath of fresh air in a world of stale Christian non-fiction. If you are a fan of Annie Dillard or Kathleen Norris, you simply must check out Miller's books. Five out of five stars!

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Thomas Nelson Book Publishers.

O Camera Where Art Thou?

2010-01-30T22:09:00.002-06:00

I seriously cannot find our camera. We haven't seen it since Christmas. I had great intentions of getting some of my recent projects photographed and posted to this site and my Facebook Fan Page, but alas.

We are hoping to get a new one within the week! Yay for a new camera! We will just hope this one sticks around a little longer. :)

Thanks for hanging in there with me!

In the meantime, here is a fun site I found recently. Check it out and let me know what you think!

http://www.howdoesshe.com/

The Hidden Flame: A Review

2010-01-30T21:48:00.004-06:00

The Hidden Flame, a novel by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke, is the second in the Acts of Faith book series. While I never read the first book in the series, it was still very easy to pick up the story. The novel chronicles Abigail, a young Judean woman who is a member of the growing early Church. Abigail is a beautiful woman who easily attracts the attention of several potential suitors within Jerusalem.

Ezra, a wealthy and influential Hebrew merchant, is interested in Abigail because he has young children in need of a mother. Ezra is a cunning business man and will stop at nothing to have Abigail as his own.

Linux, a Roman soldier, also seeks Abigail's hand. However, while infiltrating the sect to learn more about his love interest, Linux encounters more than he bargained for.

With interesting scriptural parallels the story seamlessly weaves the fictional accounts alongside true historical data about the early Church. This story is rich with the passion and fervor of early Christianity.

I did have a few problems with the story. At times, it seemed like there were so many characters being introduced it was hard to keep track of them all. This may have been alleviated if I had first read the first book in the Acts of Faith series.

Overall, I give it four out of five stars. It is definitely a great read.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Publishers.

Under Construction

2010-01-16T12:56:00.002-06:00

I am currently adding some new navigation and function to the blog. Feel free to peruse, just don't be shocked if it looks a bit messy for a bit! Thanks!

Restoration

2010-01-07T17:10:00.002-06:00

Photo taken from www.billemory.com

Marc has been preaching at a very small church in Waco for the past few weeks. The only problem with the situation is that the church is dying. It is no secret to those still sitting in the pews. In fact, they are passionate about saving the church, they just need direction. But with only two to four regular attenders, what can a church do to keep from closing its doors, packing up and selling out to a land development company?

Christianity has not done a very good job of addressing the issue of what to do about dying churches. I know there is no easy solution - no "one size fits all" panacea. But I still wish that we wouldn't simply turn a deaf ear to the problem.

In the past week I have been reflecting on the problems facing this tiny congregation as I go about my daily devotional time. I keep coming back to a deep conviction that we, meaning American Christians, have a fascination with the new, the now, the hip and the large. We like our churches hip, relevant and housed in a new building with all the bells and whistles that we should expect from a place of entertainment. And ultimately, isn't entertainment what we often come to church expecting?

If that last statement stung, maybe it needed to. Maybe we need to all wake up to the disease of complacency that has taken over our hearts - and pews - and do something about it.

Why is it that so many churches are starting up ministry teams to do church planting when we have churches begging to be rescued?

I know that not all dying churches are alike. I know that many have stick-in-the-mud members who would die before letting go of some of their traditions - not that saving a church means letting go of tradition, rather it may mean letting go of pet issues that we think are traditions. When churches refuse to be rescued they will eventually die. But what about the many churches who would welcome rescue?

I don't know if rescue will come for this small church. What I do know is that it has already begun rescuing my vision for ministry.

What would happen if more young people- for that matter, more "seasoned" people, and in-between - decided to widen their vision and view church restoration with the same passion as church planting?

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.
- Psalm 71:20

A random rant and the music to go with it

2010-01-04T11:09:00.006-06:00

I have always been slightly annoyed by the inconsistency of usage for the words yea, yay, yeah, yah and ya. Why? I don't know. Apparently I need something silly and innocuous to think about.

And before all my friends get paranoid, I am not offended when the wrong term is used, I am just slightly saddened. Why can't we get this right, English speakers? :)

Here is a definitive clarification of the proper usage of the words (provided by this website):

Yeah - pronounced ye-uh as in yes
"Hey Jen, are you going to with us to the mall."- girl a; "Yeah, I’ll go"- girl b

Yay – rhymes with and is a synonym of hooray. It’s used in cases of excitement.
"Did I tell you I won an ipod?" – girl a; "No! Oh that is exciting. Yay!" – girl b

Yah – is also an expression of agreement but there is no excitement.
"Hey are you ready to go" – girl a; "Yah" – girl b

Ya – means you
"How are ya?"

Yea – is a very old-fashioned formal way of saying “yes,” used mainly in voting. It’s the opposite of (and rhymes with) “nay.”
"All in favor say yea, all opposed nay."

And if that isn't confusing enough yay can also refer to height, as in "when I was yay big" [holding hand up]

Now for the music part. I recently found an artist that I really enjoy. Her name is Alela Diane. Check her out on Pandora!

Book Review City!

2010-01-03T18:30:00.005-06:00

Sorry for all the book reviews of late. I have been checking things off my personal to-do list like nobody's business! It has been a huge blessing to participate in the Thomas Nelson and Bethany House Blogger Book Review clubs. All these free books have been a huge blessing to our budget!

I love reading. Really, what I should say is that I love reading voraciously. If you are like me and would like to get free books in exchange for your opinion on them, then check out the links below!

And I promise that more substantive posts will be forthcoming. Have a great first week of the year! :)

The Gospel According to Lost: A Review

2010-01-03T18:20:00.001-06:00

In The Gospel According to Lost, Chris Seay attempts to make a meaningful connection between the Gospel and the fictional television series about strangers stranded on a magical and mysterious island. While this sounds far fetched, I was excited to read his account. You see, I am an avid Lost fan and I love the story line. It is easy for me to see the major connections between the story of Lost and the heart of the Gospel. Perhaps my fervor for the subject matter left me expecting more than can possibly be given in the course of one book, but I was sorely disappointed with Seay's treatment of the issue.

While Seay has a passion for both the show and the Gospel, his writing leaves much to be desired. I was totally unimpressed by his observations regarding the characters and story line. Most of what he discussed was blatantly obvious to the casual observer. There were some definite gems of insight, but those were cloaked by overused phrases that appeared multiple times throughout the book. His wording was so similar in several places that I actually found myself feeling like I had read parts of the book before.

Here is an example from page 143:

"Going to visit Jacob takes on an Old Testament sort of feel:tiptoeing around an explosive deity who values protocol and ritual over the true exploration of faith."

And here is another from page 156:

"In season three, Locke pays a visit to Jacob's cabin, and even this trek communicates an Old Testament sort of feel: this is a power to cautiously tip-toe around, an explosive deity who values protocol and rewards ritual over the exploration of faith."

After these big mistakes, Seay lost my "buy-in" and made me a cynical book reviewer. With all of the hackneyed ideas in this book I give it a two out of five. This is sad, because Lost is an ingenious series and deserves to be ingeniously discussed.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Thomas Nelson Book Publishers.

All About Carrie

2010-01-01T21:42:00.000-06:00

I am a Theology and Philosophy major with a minor in English who went to grad school for a degree in Student Affairs Administration... and I ended up working in public relations--I LOVE it! I love: my hubby, friends that you can just never replace, South Dakota, prairie sunsets, Kenya, candles, books, cuddly cats, iced coffee, coffee, conversations, conversations over coffee, (are you sensing a theme) discovering community, photography, hearing people tell their story, working with at-risk youth, babies, furry animals, white chocolate mochas, sewing, crafting, taking useless stuff and repurposing it, coming up with creative ideas, traveling, playing with kids, making friends smile...

I started Life Undivided as a way to chronicle my life: All parts of it, the good, the bad and the crafty. This blog and my craft business (called Life Undivided Designs) are my attempt at living a genuine and non-compartmentalized life.

I hope you enjoy your time here at the blog. I would love it if you would let me know what you think! My email is lifeundivided@gmail.com. If you have any questions, or want to use any of my projects, ideas or images, contact me!

Love,
Carrie

Regret-Free Living: A Review

2009-12-31T16:27:00.006-06:00

Regret-Free Living, a new book by Stephen Arterburn, discusses the issue of living under the pain of regret. But more than that, it shows you how to get out of that pattern of defeatism. When I picked up Arterburn's book, I thought it would be about not feeling guilty about the little everyday decisions that we make with ourselves in mind. You know, not feeling guilty about declining invitations to be the chairman of the board of volunteers, etc. It wasn't at all about that kind of regret or guilt. The book centered much more on relationships and healthy living in a relationship rather than guilt or regret specifically. While I enjoyed the book, this twist made me feel a little like I had been sold a bill of goods that I didn't really bargain for.

I think that this book could have been better titled and marketed in order to really reach the niche audience they are writing for. The book was interesting, well-written and insightful, but didn't speak to my personal situation right now. Perhaps it is my fault for not reading any reviews on the book before selecting it. However, I try to remain as unbiased as possible in order to write a truthful personal review. Bottom line: it just wasn't my favorite book. I don't think I'll keep it on my shelf. I can, however, see it being the perfect book for someone who is going through a difficult time a relationship. Overall I give it three out of five stars.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Publishers.

The Rose Legacy: A Review

2009-12-31T15:59:00.006-06:00

In the first book of her Diamond of the Rockies series, author Kristen Heitzmann introduces readers to the charming Carina Maria DiGratia. Carina is a proud but wounded young Italian woman from California who flees from her past. Little does she know that her idyllic-sounding new hometown of Crystal, Colorado is anything but safe and peaceful. In fact, it is a mining town full of opportunists and unsavory characters.

When Carina finally arrives to her new home, after several mishaps on the road, she is further disappointed to find that the lovely home she purchased is neither lovely nor hers. In fact, squatters have taken up residence in her abode, forcing Carina into the hands of a local attorney and playboy, Berkley Beck. Beck offers Carina employment as his secretary and lodging at a local hotel, promising to help her win back her house.

Just as Carina begins to trust Beck, Quillan Shepherd, a merchant freighter who did not make a good impression on Carina, starts to put Beck's actions into question. All of this while Beck is putting Shepherd's actions in question. Who can Carina trust?

I don't want to give away any more of the story, so I will get to the "guts" of my review.

This was an amazing book. I found myself not wanting to put the book down. Heitzmann's characters are engaging and her plot has unexpected and welcome twists and turns. If you like romantic Christian novels with more novel than romance, then this book is for you. I loved that Heitzmann didn't "dumb down" her story line to "get to the good parts." Overall, I give it five starts (out of five).

If this story line sounded familiar to you, it might be. Heitzmann originally had the book published in 2000. But it was republished by Bethany House in 2009 with a new design and cover.

I liked this story so much that I went on a search for the second book in the series, but I couldn't find it anywhere but online. My only complaint about this novel is that Bethany House didn't republish all three Diamond of the Rockies books at once - I can't wait to read the next one!

A Measure of Mercy: A Review

2009-12-23T18:29:00.001-06:00

The novel, A Measure of Mercy by Lauraine Snelling follows Astrid Bjorklund, a studious, serious young woman studying medicine in the small town of Blessing, North Dakota. Under the tutelage of her sister-in-law, a medical doctor, Astrid is learning the art of medicine, and specifically, surgery. Her sister-in-law sees Astrid's potential and encourages her to peruse a medical career by getting formal education at a medical school in Chicago. Although Astrid is excited to begin a career, she is hesitant to leave her tight-knit community.

When a former Blessing landowner comes to, once again, set down roots in town, Astrid's world gets even more complicated. Joshua Landsverk is a young and handsome man who wants to settle down in the town he has always known was his home. With his return to town come a return of his feelings for Astrid and Joshua seeks to court her to win her love.

But when a missionary comes to town and preaches at the local church, everything is turned upside-down for Astrid. Is she called to missions in Africa? Should she go to medical school to become a missionary doctor or come back to Blessing to join her sister-in-law in her medical practice (and Joshua)?

While Astrid is away at medical school she and Joshua agree to correspond, but Astrid's correspondence seems to be one-way, she only receives one letter from him. The lack of response from Joshua leads Astrid to believe he doesn't care. This precipitates her difficult decision to not return to Blessing, but rather go to Georgia and begin missionary schooling before a two-year term in Africa.

The novel concludes as Astrid boards a train bound for Georgia.

I truly enjoyed this story. It was well written and engaging and had "oomph" that is sometimes lacking in Christian romance novels. There was a depth of character development that is often overlooked by other writers. I also appreciated the addition of a family tree to the beginning of the book - this really helps with understanding the family, although with Snelling's clear writing you do not need it.

If you are a fan of Lauraine Snelling or other authors of Christian historical fiction, I highly recommend picking up a copy of A Measure of Mercy. It is the first in the Home to Blessing series.

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Publishers.

Inspiration

2009-12-23T12:09:00.002-06:00

I may not have a house, but a girl can dream, right? I love this guest bathroom (photo from Country Living). The window, the gray walls, the sloped ceiling, the claw foot tub, the pedestal sink...the only thing I would change would be the flooring (I would LOVE reclaimed hardwood).

So once Marc starts making the big bucks as a pastor I'll make sure to put this bathroom makeover on my to-do list. Ha ha!

Do You Qualify?

2009-12-11T15:16:00.005-06:00

Yesterday, an advertisement on Facebook caught my eye.

That is one interesting looking mom, huh?

Let It Snow!

2009-12-04T08:48:00.005-06:00

Dear Blog Readers,

The forecast today gives us a 50/50 shot at snow! I don't remember EVER being so excited at the possibility of snow.

Praying for a Christmas miracle,

Carrie

Might as well add another post today again...and again

2009-11-26T23:14:00.008-06:00

I want this! $18 for two of these ADORABLE shabby chic tea towels. Just the right amount of girly to get me through the dishes. :) LOVE IT!

Buy it for me here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34424413&ref=em

Okay, NOW I'm going to bed.

It is catch up day!

2009-11-26T22:39:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago I started a sourdough bread starter. It went well, or so I thought. Here are some photos of my adventure into the art of bread making.

One day, I came home from work to a starter that was literally oozing out of the container. Cute, huh?

So I knew it was time to make some bread. I followed the directions and got this. And only this. It never rose. Sad. Needless to say, I still tried baking it. It made a nice doorstop...

I'm going to try making a starter again, but this time I'm trying another method. I'll let you know how it goes this time around. I am cautiously optimistic.

This probably isn't what you normally see when you ask your husband to crack open that bottle of wine, is it?

We weren't into wine when we got married, so we never have had a good bottle opener. We used our neighbor's bottle opener, but their opener was plastic and broke, leaving the spiral corkscrew stuck in the cork.

After several tries, we finally headed over to our friend's apartment for some help. It was great wine. It was a sparkling Moscato. Yum!

In other news, I crossed another thing off my Thirty by 30 list! I ate a Vitek's Gut Pak. It was amazing. Mom and Dad, we need to take you there when you come in December. It is great! Almost like Bob's Cafe, but more BBQish than fried chicken. I can't wait!

Thanks for putting up with my catch-up. We need to get to bed. Tomorrow morning is going to be an early one. We are going to do the Early Bird sale at Target to try and get a good deal on a TomTom. Wish us luck!

Oh! I also finished the quilt. I need to take a good picture during the daylight and I'll post it here. Another Thirty by 30!

At the risk of coming across as a Cat Lady I still posted this...

2009-11-26T22:23:00.005-06:00

Our cat Oscar has learned a trick. Yep, you read that right. Our cat learned a trick. When we ask him to beg, he does this cute thing where he reached his paw up and gently taps or scratches your knee. It is pretty cute. But it is addictive. Once he gets started and gets the reward he won't stop.

Then again, it is sometimes hard to get him to do it. He is, after all, a cat. Sorry about the loud background music. We were "jamming" while I cooked this morning.

Pretty cute, huh?

Transformation Thursday - From Shelf to Sign

2009-11-26T22:13:00.005-06:00

A few years back, Marc and I bought these great unfinished floating shelves at Michael's. We used them in our dining room in Waco for about a year. They never quite would hang right. They always sagged no matter what we did.

We took them down last summer (in 2008), and Marc suggested that I should save them to make one of those painted signs I am always admiring. (What he really meant was that he was getting tired of my pointing them out and saying, "I could do that!" and then never doing it.) So they were saved from a trip to Goodwill.

When I painted our headboard a few months ago, I also painted one of the boards so I could make a sign for our bedroom. Today, after all my spatchcocking and Christmas decorating, I was in the mood to do a project. So I made the sign! Here it is!

Before

After

What do you think?

Our First Thanksgiving at "Home"

2009-11-26T17:27:00.006-06:00

Well, this isn't our first Thanksgiving in Waco, and it isn't our first Thanksgiving away from family, but it is our first Thanksgiving hosting people at our house. It is our first Thanksgiving being the "adults" who "have people over." It was odd, but strangely fulfilling.

We had Dianna and Dave over for dinner today (meaning lunch for those of you who didn't grow up in a highly-agricultural area of the country). I was pretty happy about my Thanksgiving fare. Check out the menu below.

Spatchcocked turkey

Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

Grandma Petersen's Dressing

Chocolate Heath Pie

And Dianna brought yummy Green Bean Casserole. It was a great meal!

As a side note, there were a few moments when I was cleaning and spatchcocking the turkey that I seriously considered becoming a vegetarian. I am pretty sure that Marc just laughed off most of my comments, "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO WANTED TURKEY!" being one of them.

However, in the end the taste of the meat was too good to deny.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Know that you are loved.

We did it!

2009-11-23T15:32:00.005-06:00

We did it! On November 4th we put our TV in storage.

We were tired of spending our evenings together in front of a glowing box. We were tired of keeping up with various "shows." We were tired to sitting around. We wanted to talk again.

It has been awesome!

Marc and I have a great relationship and enjoy talking, but having the TV off has enhanced that even more. I can't say enough about how great this is. You need to try it. But don't just try leaving the TV off for a week. Actually remove it from your living room. Make it inaccessible. Just try it for one week. I'll bet you won't want to go back.

"American children and adolescents spend 22 to 28 hours per week viewing television, more than any other activity except sleeping. By the age of 70 they will have spent 7 to 10 years of their lives watching TV." -Kaiser Family Foundation

I don't know about you, but I could use an extra 7 to 10 years. Do you know how many wonderful craft projects that is?

In an effort to be totally transparent, I will admit that we still watch two shows online. The Office and Glee. However 2 hours a week is something I'm willing to give.

Do you want more information on TV watching? Click here.

Let me know what you think.

Time with Syler

2009-11-23T10:11:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago, we watched Syler (our friends' Ryan and Kristen's little boy) for an entire Saturday. Here is some cute video from Syler's breakfast.

How can you not melt when a little bundle like this says your name and blows you a kiss? :)

What is your blog anyway?

2009-11-19T12:00:00.002-06:00

I've been asked this question a few times. It usually makes me a little introspective. It reminds me of a very intense experience of immersion into another culture, specifically, the time Marc and I spent in Kenya.

In Kenya, we were profoundly affected by the openness of the people. They didn't seperate their lives into categories as much as we Americans. They had life. We had work, church, Lifegroup, Baylor, Truett, family, Waco friends, Sioux Falls friends, etc. Why were we seperating our life out into little bits? Why were we only allowing certain people access to certain parts of our lives?

Through this experience, I felt a calling to live a more undivided life. While it is certainly not always possible to do this completely, I am trying.

So what is my blog? It is me... undivided. All of me: my craftiness, my family, my thoughts, what I'm reading, things I think are neat. It is my hope that reading my blog is sort of like sitting down for a great cup of coffee. My desire is to live undivided, so you are welcome to all of me.

Should I wave goodbye to another electronic appliance?

2009-11-19T08:00:00.002-06:00

Microwaves. Are they good? Are they bad? I'm beginning to evaluate this in my own life. Comments and thoughts are welcome.

Click here to read the post that prompted this introspection.

Learn to Study the Bible

2009-11-18T14:14:00.008-06:00

I was excited when I was first asked to review the bible study methods book by Deane. I know that my own Bible study has at times been stagnant and less than engaging. I truly desire to find ways to dig deeper into the heart of God through Bible study and devotional time. That being said, I was a little disappointed with the book once I got into it.

I come to the table reading this book as a somewhat liberal Christian. At least by conservative standards. I don't think that Deane knew this when he requested I read his book. Or maybe he did. And if so, Bravo, Deane.

On the positive side, the book contains a good overview of a wide variety of Bible study methods. Forty, to be exact. It also does a good job illustrating the various methods so you can visualize how to do it yourself. With all the methods in the book, I am inclined to believe there is probably something for everyone.

I especially enjoyed his "One at a Time" idea, where you do a special in-depth analysis of a favorite, or "life" verse. I also enjoyed the "Six Searches" method. This method asks six probing questions about the passage and you journal on the questions. Another method that I found useful was the "Book Overview" method. In this method you create a great one-page "at-a-glance" fact sheet for a specific book of the Bible. I could see how doing this over a period of time could give you a great source for quick information about certain books.

My frustrations with the book were in some ways minor, considering that the point of the book was Bible study methods, not theology. But in other ways the frustrations were major, as they cut to the core of what I believe about the Bible. Needless to say I am trying hard not to throw the proverbial “baby” out with the “bathwater.”

In one chapter, Deane stated that the word of God only has one correct interpretation. This concerns me. I believe that there are definitely good interpretations, even “better” interpretations, but the beauty of the Bible is its ability to speak volumes to all people at all times. I don't feel comfortable limiting God to one "point" per verse.

He also said that each word in the original manuscript is God-breathed. I believe that there is a danger in saying that every word is God-breathed. If this is true, then I am forced to believe in dictation theory. This bothers me because of the wide variety of writing styles found within the Bible. If God himself wrote every word, not inspired the thought, but actually told them which words to use, then how do we get all these different styles? I just don't think that dictation theory jives with all the editorial type comment we find sprinkled throughout Scripture. I do, however, believe that all Scripture is God ordained and that God was intimately involved in the creation of these sacred texts.

Those were the big theological pet peeves. My additional concerns were his seeming disregard for theological formal education. He wrote about how the current technological advances and available research mean that you don’t have to learn the biblical languages to study Scripture. While you certainly don’t have to learn the languages, you cannot say that concordances and word study books are as good as knowing the language and nuances yourself. Anyone who has studied a biblical language, myself included, will tell you that it can be an important devotional tool for ministry, even in this modern setting. Nothing can replace the understanding that comes from learning a language yourself.

From a totally different perspective, I was frustrated with the editing of the book. I found multiple misspellings and grammatical errors in the handwritten “example” portions of the book. In my opinion this should have been caught by the editors. And there you have it. My official opinion on the book. While it was an interesting book to browse for methods, I was unimpressed with the editorial comments and covert theological stances. I give it 3 stars out of 5.

The Karma of Jesus: A Review

2009-11-17T14:10:00.007-06:00

The Karma of Jesus is an engaging, conversation-like exposition of the Karma belief system all mingled alongside a personal memoir of Mark Herringshaw's journey to formulate his belief on the subject. For Herringshaw, this journey started after one of his speeches to young college-aged adults. After his speech, Herringshaw engaged in a discussion with one of the students who had some distinct questions about Christ and the validity of the Karma system. The book follows the natural pattern of their conversation, as well as borrowing from other similar conversations in Herringshaw's life. The book meanders pleasantly through many of the popular functional beliefs in the Karma system all while explaining what Christ "has to do with it."

I was profoundly affected by the book's topic as it was engaging, culturally relevant and personally riveting. My reading, and subsequent thinking, lead to several long conversations with my husband about our beliefs on the issue.

One of Herringshaw's talents is not pushing you to his belief. He presents the facts, states his assumptions and biases, and openly admits his personal beliefs on the subject. For me, this approach was perfect as it allowed me to digest his thoughts along with my own with no pressure to actively "resist" his view. He wasn't pressuring me and as such, he was a non-threatening guide on this journey.

In the end, my conclusion was that the system of Karma may be real, but it is extensively, even infinitely complicated (what with past lives and intent vs. outcomes). And besides that point, and more importantly, it is outdated - Christ died to save us from imprisonment under any and all of the world's systems, including Karma. Whether or not it is real, it imprisons many, and the point is that Christ already died to free them from their self-imposed or society-imposed oppression.

Herringshaw's book forms a beautiful picture of the wide-reaching power of grace - both to those imprisoned by Eastern culture and belief as well as those imprisoned by Western religiosity. Bravo, Herringshaw, Bravo. This is one of the most relevant Christian books I have read in a long time. Five stars!

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Publishers.

Watching the Sy-Bear

2009-11-13T10:02:00.003-06:00

This past Saturday we had the privillage of watching our dear friends' little boy, Syler. We got to watch him for the whole day! It was like parenting practice and birth control all wrapped up in one little two-year-old bundle of energy. I'm pretty convinced that he is the cutest little two year old for miles around. :) Here is some video from our day.

Syler really wanted to have Marc read to him. He didn't even care what Marc read! Here is Marc reading some advanced two-year-old stuff.

Why I Blog

2009-11-05T09:12:00.005-06:00

One of my blogging friends, Lindsay, is going to be teaching a mini-class on how to start a blog. She asked followers of her blog to list the reasons they have a personal blog, so here is my list!

1. I love being able to share life with friends and family who are far away.

2. I enjoy having a chronicle of my life, something to capture my memories and feelings so I can return periodically and reflect.

3. It is a great place for me to organize some of my hobbies. For me, I LOVE crafts, sewing, junking and re-purposing. Through my blog I am able to post projects I enjoy so I can return to them when I have time. This has the double benefit of keeping my husband happy since I don't have random project ideas scribbled on bits of paper all over our house!

4. The blog provides a wonderful organization tool to keep up with friends and family who blog. You can follow other blogs and then when you log in to Blogger, it will show their updates on your "Dashboard." It is a quick and easy way to check for updates on their lives. Much more efficient than clicking on a bunch of "Favorites" every day.

5. Sometimes you just need to write stuff out in order to feel better.

6. I love having one part of my life, the blog, be a place that is undivided. Some people have several blogs: one for recipes, one for life, etc. That is great! But for me, I like the appeal of having it all in one blog. I always hope that for visitors to my site it is almost like having coffee with me - you get it all, the craftiness, the homesickness, the job updates and occasionally a cute picture of our cat.

7. It is a great way to practice your writing skills, or if you are a writer for your job, it is a great place to not worry about your writing skills for once! I write for my job, so in the blog it is refreshing to not edit, edit, edit, but just publish!

8. As a side benefit, I have also started reviewing books for both Thomas Nelson Publishers and Bethany House Publishers (both great Christian publishing companies). You sign up to be a reviewer with them (simple online form) and then pick out a book (or several, in the case of Bethany House). They then send you the book (FOR FREE!!!!) and you read it and then, on your own time, post a review on your blog as well as a book buying website (like Barnes and Noble or Amazon). It is really easy and, in the end, you get to KEEP the book! I can't tell you how amazing this is for a girl with a husband in seminary!

That is my list for now. I'm sure I could think of many more wonderful reasons you should start a blog, so if you would like to know more, comment and let me know!

Belle gets a Tutu!

2009-11-04T17:08:00.006-06:00

Mom and Dad were kind enough to drop off the tutu on their way home from Wichita. Here is Theresa with the tutu.

And of course, a little present for Theresa! I gave her a perfect purple purse and some other goodies.

Melt my heart! I so wish I could be there to see you, little Belle, but I love you from afar!

Back in the Saddle

2009-11-04T17:04:00.002-06:00

Well, we are back in the great state of Texas, and back in the saddle again at our jobs. While Texas truly is a great state, it is not always a state I want to live in. At least half of the year it is too hot for comfort. But I must say that the other half of the year almost makes up for it, at least at this point in our lives. But I digress...

This weekend, some of you may know, Marc and I headed off to Kansas to meet up with my parents in Wichita. It is the halfway point between Waco and Sioux Falls. We stayed at a great Holiday Inn Express and enjoyed wonderful times of fellowship and, of course, a little crafting! The Yankees made it to the World Series, so while the boys watched the Yanks, Mom and I crafted and dreamed up fun projects. We even have one really great project currently "in the works." It is a collaboration between the two of us and it is a fun and creative gift for someone we love a whole lot. Can you guess what it is or who it is for?

Well, you'll just have to wait for that answer! Christmas is coming soon my friends -a thought I often repeat to myself like a mantra - after all, Christmas is our CRAZY season at work.

Here are some pictures from the weekend!

Getting ready to leave for Wichita (with my handmade scarf)!

On the road we did our usual cheap Panderson food from the cooler in the back. Saves money and you get mini-picnics!

Sustenance. :)

On Saturday, Mom and I crafted it up! While out purchasing crafty stuff for our big project, we also picked up some tulle to make a sweet little tutu for my Belle.

Here is a close up. It is a lilac color.

Dad's CPAP mask broke at around midnight on Saturday night. So Mom and I came to the rescue with a quick trip to Walmart (don't judge me, people, it was for my Dad) and a little electrical tape. As you can see he definitely missed some important beauty sleep, but was really no worse for the wear. :)

On Sunday, we went to the zoo in Wichita. What a great zoo! Here is the orangutan. Seeing him definitely was eye opening. It led to some great conversations about evolution; if you want to know what I think you will have to ask me some other time. Needless to say I was shocked to actually watch him up close and see all his "humanoid" mannerisms.

Here is a chimp chilling on a platform. He was totally taking a sunbath!

Poor chimp with a hair-loss problem. By looking at this picture you can also see why we had lots of evolution discussions while in the zoo.

Wallaby! This cute little guy was just basking in the sun on the side of the path we were walking around. He wasn't even in a cage (just an enclosed huge pen that we could walk through). I could have touched him, but I didn't want him to bite me and all that fun stuff.

This may just be the cutest meerkat EVER. I wanted to kiss his (or her, I didn't get a good look) face.

Yep, we fed giraffes. I even petted him! He was a sweetie. For anyone wondering, it was like petting a horse.

Here I am feeding the baby. :)

Marc, acting weird on Sunday afternoon (insert feigned surprise).

Here we are holding the tutu I made for my little Belle! It is lilac with dark purple ribbons. More photos will follow, I'm sure!

All in all it was a great trip! I'm just sad we have to be back in reality. :)

Cleaning the Camera

2009-10-28T17:45:00.001-05:00

Want to see what I did to my finger while trying to fix my sewing machine? Warning: Graphic photo of my sewing injury will open if you click the sign below... Not for the faint of heart!

Amazingly, I'm fine! No emergency room trip, no major pain meds. In fact, My nail has already healed and I am no longer wearing a bandage. The human body is pretty darn resilient. But I don't plan on testing that theory again any time soon!

In other news, this was an amazing weekend! On Friday evening Marc took me on a date to the Derek Webb, Marc Scibilia, Jillian Edwards concert at Common Grounds. It was so much fun! Here are some highlights.

On Saturday, we woke up early to go to the Baylor Homecoming Parade with our friends Lacey and Megan. Here are some pictures of our adventure!

On Saturday evening we chaperoned the FBC Elm Mott youth trip to the Corn Maze. The highlight of my day was scaring the poop out of three teenage boys in the "scary" corn maze. As we were walking along in the maze waiting for the next suprise, I suddenly screamed with all the ferocity my five foot frame would allow. They were terrified. Even after being "attacked" by a man with a chain saw, hearing screams from an abandoned bus and being chased by a goblin the team agreed that my screaming stunt was by far the scariest. These sixteen year old boys were quite literally shaking with fear!

I was pretty proud. The corn maze may have just found its newest seasonal employee, eh?

Our weekend was great! Sorry it took so long to post about it!

From Shabby Vintage Door to Classy Headboard

2009-10-21T16:44:00.005-05:00

Here is my latest transformation!

Before...

During...

And After!

The headboard was pained a beautiful grey with a hint of blue to it. It is called Morning Mist, or something assonancy.

It was made of entirely reused materials, other than paint and hardware (screws and bolts). What do you think?

The Search for God and Guinness

2009-10-21T15:49:00.008-05:00

The Search for God and Guinness, a book by Stephen Mansfield, begins with a brief history of beer and moves on to the specifics of the Guinness family and their influence on the world of brewing (and more).

The Guinness family story begins with Arthur Guinness, the patriarch of the family and the creator of what was to become a world-renowned beer company. Arthur, who had a passion for being an entrepreneur and a passion for beer, didn't just have a good idea (starting a beer company), but had a good idea at a good time. In fact, much of the Guinness story of success centers on the family being in the right place at the right time and taking advantage of the political, economical and social climate in order to better their business, and arguably, their employees as well.

Mansfield's account of the beer giant is a moving story of the importance of family, love and philanthropy. As he weaves his way through the Guinness family line, Mansfield sheds light on several of the guiding principles that made Guinness the international success that it is today. It was interesting to see the pioneering way Guinness provided for his employees.

From complete employee health care, housing, education and other services to unprecedented compensation for day-laborers, the Guinness company of yesteryear was arguably the first "Google-type" caring company.

While Mansfield's tale of the Guinness clan is interesting and enlightening, I wasn't totally enthralled like I thought I would be. About half-way through the book he lost my interest. I think that this happened for several reasons.

One was that Mansfield's style switched from an intense focus on the Guinness family themselves to a loose focus on the family and a tight focus on Guinness employees who exemplified the "Guinness" character. After hearing about the work of Arthur and his sons, I was disappointed to find the focus shift to other employees. While Mansfield's book seemed designed to show the way God, kindness and the "spirit of Guinness" was alive and well in a modern company, the gradual digression away from the Guinness family and away from philanthropy in general, just left me feeling like Guinness is the same as "any ole company" out there.

The second reason I lost interest was that at the half-way point, Mansfield's tale began a series of distracting bunny trails. He continually jumped from one story to the next, often going backwards and forwards in history with little explanation or warning. At the end of chapters I was often confused as to who did what, and when. These distractions took away from the intended message of the book and left me feeling dissatisfied.

My final critique is that the title seems ill-fitting. While God is definitely a theme in the book, He is certainly not at the crux of the Guinness story. At most, I saw God as serving as a peripheral character, at least in the life of the beer-brewing Guinnesses. (For those of you who are confused, there is also a line of very religious Christian Guinnesses that also descend from Arthur Guinness).

All in all, I give the book a three out of five. If you enjoy history, if you enjoy biographies, if you like knowing random facts to enter into normal conversation, then this book is for you. If not, the book is still interesting and makes a great coffee-table conversation starter. I can't tell you how many times I was approached when reading this book in public places!

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Thomas Nelson Book Publishers.

A Little Tuesday Humor

2009-10-20T13:35:00.007-05:00

I love this hilarious clip of a very creative group of high school students. Well done. May you laugh your socks off.

Ten Things - Saturday Update

2009-10-10T23:44:00.003-05:00

It has been a quiet weekend at the apartment. Marc is leading a 10th-12th grade guys Discipleship Now group this weekend (complete with two overnights), so I have been caught between enjoying the quiet and missing my hubby.

I accomplished quite a lot today! I fixed my desk! I am also working on organizing it right now. I know it is late, but when the inspiration strikes I go with it! I also painted the "numbers" on the top of my stool. Now I need to get some stain to finish off that project.

I took a trip to the local Salvation Army today and found a great glass canister. I swiped it for only $1.00! I was pretty excited. I am using it to hold the new batch of homemade laundry detergent I made today. It was fun and easy. I'll let you know how it works on our clothes when I get around to doing laundry. :)

I also picked up two canvases that are pink and black patterned prints. I thought I could paint over them or make message boards to give as gifts. They were only $1.00 each! In addition to the canister and canvases, I picked up a ceramic bird. It was a hideous green/blue, but I quickly repainted it with spray paint from Lowe's. The paint was only $.99!

While I was painting the bird, I also painted my clock (so I can fix it), my pink basket and some random branches from our tree outside. The branches are being used as fall decor in a big vase in our dining room.

That is it for now. Pictures will definitely follow!

Ten Things Update!

2009-10-06T14:30:00.005-05:00

In an effort to be successful at this 10 Tasks challenge, I have decided to add a few items to my selection list. I guess it is kind of like making your list of things to do after you already did them, but this is my blog, so it goes by my rules!

Here are a few more projects that have been hanging around in my mind gathering cobwebs.

1. Organize my crafting area and clean the desk.

2. Make a color recognition book for Syler.

3. Make crayons from old broken crayons.

Good additions, huh? I knew you would think so! And surprise, surprise, I finished two of these last night!

Last night I put together the color recognition book for Sy-Sy and even made him some pumpkin shaped crayons from my old broken crayons. Some of the new crayons even have a little glitter in them from old glitter crayons. I'm sure the Richardsons will love that!

I'll post pictures later, my camera battery is D-E-A-D. (That just means really dead.)

The Challenge...

2009-10-04T21:04:00.012-05:00

I have taken the challenge. I pledged to complete 10 tasks in 10 days. Here are some of the things I have been wanting to do. I'll just have to pick 10 from this list!

1. Make a burlap banner. Don't worry, it won't say "Boo," probably something more like, "Celebrate." Then it can be used for general celebrations, birthdays, dinner parties.

2. Make a bigger stuffed Scotty dog out of the new, cheap fabric I bought. It is charcoal gray fuzzy felt and it screams "Please make me into a stuffed dog!"

3. Switch out my bobbin to the brand new transparent thread I purchased for 1/2 price. This is the lazy sewer's dream! I NEVER have to switch the bobbin and thread unless I want to! I'll let you know how it works.

4. Use some of my fun Amy Butler fabric for a project. Quit saving it for that non-existent "dream" project, Carrie!

5. Make that sign for our dining room.

6. Formally invite the Waco crew for Thanksgiving Dinner at our place this year.

7. Make some of these nifty bookends. Sorry, I don't have the link for this anymore. I remember seeing these in a store and Googleing it.

8. Repaint the clock and put it back together.

9. Fix my desk so the drawer stops sagging.

10. Touch up the paint on our dining room chairs (they are black, but I want to touch up the paint in some places and distress them in others. Something like this but a little less obviously distressed...)

11. Paint numbers on the dining room chairs. Like this? Marc said that numbers are only okay if we do them creatively. He is thinking of putting pi on one chair, square roots on another, etc. Hey, I can handle an eccentric take on a modern decorating trend! :) Especially when my hubby suggested it.

12. Distress the brand new stool for our "bar" area. What do you think of this treatment? I wouldn't do a number...maybe a letter, or maybe "Have a seat." or "Stay awhile." Thoughts?

13. Start a new embroidery project.

Hopefully this will help me kick start my creative juices and get me back on track with crafting again! I have been on an unintentional crafting hiatus for a few weeks.

I'm a Book Reviewer!

2009-09-29T18:59:00.007-05:00

Last week I took the plunge and joined my friend Tiffani as a book reviewer for Thomas Nelson Publishers. It is a great opportunity for bloggers to get free books by writing short reviews on selected Thomas Nelson books. When you complete the review, you keep the book! Good deal, eh?

For my first book, I reviewed Seaside Letters by Denise Hunter.

Seaside Letters follows Sabrina Kincaid, a young, world-weary college graduate working as a waitress at a greasy spoon in Nantucket. Sabrina came to Nantucket after a nasty breakup wrapped up in a painful family betrayal.

Sabrina works as a research assistant for a local mystery writer in exchange for room and board, using her outstanding English skills and literature background to add drama and intrigue to her friends' rich stories.

Tucker is a local guy. A trained lawyer who chooses to spend his days working at his boating business rather than enter the 9 to 5 work world.

Tucker is a regular at Sabrina's cafe. The two soon strike up a amicable relationship as server and customer, but Tucker wants more.

The rest of the story follows their secret semi-anonymous online relationship and the complicated results of their secrecy and half-truths. At the risk of ruining the plot I will stop there. You'll just have to read it!

When I first read the cover of the book I thought that it honestly sounded lame and contrived. However, when you actually get into the "meat" of the book it really draws you in. There were definitely times during the novel when I wished the author would just end our misery and reveal all the secrets, but the conclusion was worth all the torturous moments.

If you are a fan of modern, Christian (or clean) romantic fiction, this is a great book. There is even a reading group guide in the back for all those book clubbers out there!

Up next:

Diaper Cake Tutorial

2009-09-29T18:05:00.008-05:00

Want to make a diaper cake? Cool!

Here is how I did it.

Step 1:
Buy some diapers. You can buy fun looking diapers like I did, or the plain white kind.
Then lay them out like this.

Step 2:
Starting at 1 end of the stack, begin to curl it around on itself. This part is hard to explain. Here is what the bottom layer looks like (in case you are visual like me).

Step 3:
Place a rubber band around the entire outside of the swirl. After you get the rubber band on you can adjust the diapers to make them even and make the circle look a little better.

Step 4:
Make two more layers. This is probably obvious, but the less diapers, the smaller the layer.

Step 5:
Grab some ribbon that coordinates with your shower theme. I chose plain pink and then a polka dot pink for my top layer of ribbon.

Step 6:
Wrap the ribbon around the cake and glue it.

Step 7:
Make a great cake topper. I made some washcloth flowers and used some ribbon to finish it off.

Here is the finished product!

I just stacked the layers with nothing holding them together. It was easy to transport to the shower, and easy for the Mommy-to-be to take home!

Here are some pics from the shower. I used some of the baby clothes that she has already received as decorations. A little jute twine and some clothespins made for super easy (and FREE!) decor.

Here is little Lynne and her Mom!

The cake was a big hit!

This is Scary...

2009-09-29T10:41:00.003-05:00

Puppies and Kitties (and other cliches)

2009-09-22T09:07:00.005-05:00

Here are my little Scotty dogs. :) Aren't they cute?!

The other night on the way home from Dianna's house my headlights happened upon this cute little creature.

He was just sitting in the middle of the road all huddled up and pitiful looking. I couldn't resist. I got out of the car. I was certain that he would run. He didn't. I picked him up.

And then I fell in love with his cute little face. The poor guy had a nasty kitty cold so I didn't want him around Oscar, but I thought that Melanie (Dianna's roommate) might know what to do with him. Melanie is a kitten expert and often fosters kitties from the Humane Society until they are adoption-ready.

When I arrived at Dianna's, Melanie wasn't there. But Dianna and I weighed the little stinker and he was only 1 1/2 lbs! We knew he would get fostered if we brought him to the Humane Society drop off, so we did. We even left a little note with where we found him. I am certain he was a stray kitten. He was the stinkiest cat I have ever smelled. Seriously. The next day my car stunk. But he was very cute and had no mommy in sight. And I knew if I left him there he would get hit by a car that didn't see him.

Besides the kitty cold he was very alert and sweet. He will make somebody a great little companion once he gets a little bigger (and a little less sniffly). Thanks, Dianna!

Random

2009-09-17T10:39:00.004-05:00

When I was a little kid I heard about a litter of puppies that was abandoned on the side of the road and left to die in a garbage bag.

Thankfully they were rescued.

But now, whenever I see garbage bags on the road or the side of the road I always watch for movement. I guess I'm just looking out for the unwanted puppies of the world.

Messed up, huh? :)

Scotty Dog Softie

2009-09-15T18:49:00.006-05:00

I'm really excited to do some projects this weekend. But I couldn't wait for the weekend! Here is one I am doing quickly tonight.

I'm not making it 3-D. I am only using the outer body pattern. It will be like a flat, but stuffed scotty. It is for my favorite little Beanster!

The pattern is from the allsorts website. Check it out!

My lovely weekend

2009-09-13T21:24:00.008-05:00

Hello dearest blog followers (and stalkers-yes, I love you too),

I am sad that another weekend is drawing to a close, but happy that it was a weekend spent with friends and our Waco family. Here are some photos and musings. I apologize for the length. Only the most committed readers need continue. :)

Friday: IKEA, traffic jams and my lovely husband

On Friday, I spent the day traveling to Austin, Texas to host an MCH table at a government fair. Employees are encouraged to give to local charities, so we were invited to have a presence at the fair and share our mission. I, of course, brought candy which was very well received. :) We were a popular booth and generated some interest. I can only hope that it will lead to some donations or perhaps even help a struggling family find the resources we offer.

It rained on Friday, so my travel was a little crazy. In fact, at one point, I was actually sitting in totally standstill traffic on I-35. So I started playing solitaire on my iPod until the traffic jam was fixed. No worries, I didn't play and drive. I was actually sitting on the interstate with the car in "park." Because of a brief-but-fun stop at IKEA, not to mention the traffic, I didn't get home until 7. However, my time at IKEA made the traffic jam worth it.

As many of you know, I have been on the prowl for a comforter/duvet that was a down alternative. Being the frugal seminary family we are, I knew it would also have to be cheap. I found a great bargain at IKEA! It is a light (very light- I love it!) comforter that only cost $19.99 for a King size. Yes, you read that correctly! It is, however made of that material that covers airline pillows and pillows at the doctor. But it is soft and comfy and goes inside a duvet cover anyway, so I don't care!

The duvet cover was $29.99. I went for a plain white. I thought this would make it easy to change our color scheme down the road. I also like the idea of a clean white comforter, so I went with it! I bought a blue pillow at IKEA for $9.99. It is my inspiration pillow for the colors of our room. I will be making other pillow covers to coordinate with this theme. I love that the blue pillow ties in the brown curtain too.

The "old door" headboard (that is in the making), will be painted a light white/blue/grey color. That way it will stand out a little from the wall, but will still be a light color. Someday, when we are no longer temporarily renting, I will have beautiful colored walls in our bedroom, so I wanted to choose a headboard color that would look good in both environments.

I also purchased a bath mat for only $9.99! It is light grey and looks very nice with our beautiful white shower curtain. Now to coordinate the rest of the bathroom! Does anyone know of a cheap place to buy under-bed containers? I would like to use these for our beach towels, etc. since we don't have a linen closet.

Have I mentioned that my husband is wonderful? :) Here is a photo of Marc putting the comforter inside the duvet cover. :)

We pinned the corners so it wouldn't float around inside the cover. It is wonderfully comfortable and makes every night feel like a beautiful bed and breakfast! Plus, the bed is easy to make in the morning!

Saturday: Sleep, showers, chocolate and friends

On Saturday, we slept in! I love sleeping in! More accurately, I slept in. Marc didn't really sleep in, he worked on cleaning the house. Have I mentioned what a lucky girl I am? :) I got up, cleaned up and frantically went to Target to purchase some onesies to make a gift for my friend Lynne's baby shower. Since her shower was at 2pm, I was a little stressed as I tried to make all the crafty-loveliness happen in a very short period of time. Never fear, my friends. I made it! Here is a photo of the finished product. :) It is a ruffle-butt onesie with a little matching button detail on the front.

Here is how I wrapped it. I love wrapping in scraps of fabric because it reuses something and is easily reuseable by the recipient. For this gift, I used a bit of the purple fabric instead of a ribbon.

After the shower, I went to JoAnn's fabric store and purchased some binding for the quilt I've been working on. It was an antique quilt top that I found for $4! I patched up the holes with a fun contrasting fabric and I plan to quilt it sometime soon. Maybe next weekend?

When I got home from JoAnn's, my hubby had made some wonderful and delicious Spanish rice, so we ate together and then both felt that it was time for some social interaction with the outside world. What better way than chocolate? :) We met up at Chili's for some yummy desert and conversation with our dear friend, Jalon.

After a fun conversation, we called Julie and RJ and met up at our apartment to watch Kung Fu Panda. It was an interesting movie. Not my favorite animated flick, but it had some great moments. I really just loved looking around the room and seeing friends. At moments like that I am so thankful for the friends God has provided over the last few months. It is so nice to have our wonderful Waco friends, but also to now have friends who know our "home" in Sioux Falls.

Marc and I spent the late-late evening watching Man vs. Wild. Bear Grylis is insane. I watched him bite off the head off a frog. He said he needed the nutrition, but then he got picked up by a helicopter twenty minutes later. For me, helicopter means "normal food nearby." So why the frog, Bear? Why?

Sunday: Preaching, eating, watching and fellowshipping

Sunday morning brought us to Ridgecrest Retirement Home in Waco where Marc preached at their chapel service. DaySpring leads the service every few weeks and Marc volunteered to preach. It was fun to interact with everyone.

After a marathon shopping trip at the local HEB, we went home and prepared food for our dear Midwestern friend-family group. We have been laughing lately at the motleyness of our Midwestern crew. We are a funny group, to be sure. A bunch of Midwestern transplants who happened to go to the same undergrad and are now living in the same town again. We have a shared experience of the Sioux Falls area, so that makes getting together fun, but on the other hand, we are an odd group of people who probably never would have ended up together otherwise. In that way we feel like family. No one can be voted out. We all love each other, but sometimes we also drive each other crazy. I love it. Thanks for being my family, you guys. :)

Here is a photo of part of the crew today.

After a wonderful afternoon nap (on my part), and some football watching (on Marc and RJ's part), we headed out to Common Grounds for some more Jalon time. This time we were studying. Well, they were studying, I was really just sitting here blogging and being creative.

I just love my Jalon. :) And that concludes the weekend, my friends. Now I shall go home and snuggle under my wonderful new bedding! It has been so nice having the rain this weekend. It is so nice to fall asleep to the rain and smell the ozone. God is good.

Obligatory "The Cat Will Make You Smile" Video

2009-09-09T11:49:00.004-05:00

This video made my morning. Seriously. :) Thank you cuteoverload. It is really very funny. If you don't have the patience to watch it for 2 1/2 minutes, I would encourage you to go straight to the 2 minute mark. It is too funny.

Things I want to try...

2009-09-06T21:32:00.004-05:00

http://elmstreetlife.blogspot.com/2009/09/homemade-bagels-homemade-deodorant.html

http://elmstreetlife.blogspot.com/2009/08/more-natural-recipes.html

http://elmstreetlife.blogspot.com/2009/08/diy-life.html

My Esme's Find

2009-09-05T18:51:00.007-05:00

Being that it is the first weekend of the month, I had to spend time at Esme's. Esme's is a local junk shop that is closing down. They have been closing down since June by only opening one weekend a month until all the junk is gone. Thankfully, for me, there is a lot of junk to explore so I may eek out a few more months of fun! Normally I look for the small stuff. We don't need big stuff and we don't have the space for it. I have been trying to slowly de-collegify our space by replacing our college dorm decor with nicer more-permanent pieces. However, I am cheap. I look for ideas from places like Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, Ballard Designs and Anthropology, and remake them for our space on our budget.

Enough rambling, I'll get to the good stuff!

Today, I found the motherload. I spotted a neat mid-century glider rocker near the front door of Esme's. It has a nice dark walnut finish and burgandy worn-suede looking upholstry on the cushions. And it already has a little shabby touch of burlap ribbon on the back cushion. It was cute, but then I sat in it. I fell in love. Seriously.
This chair is amazingly comfortable. It almost made me wish I still had homework so I could curl up in the chair to work on it. Almost...

The chair was in amazing condition, it just needed a little TLC. So I asked the fatal question of all junkers... "How much for this, Esme?"

30 bucks.

30. Seriously!

So I thought, I wonder if there is a bunch of sawdust in this upholstery, after all, it is old. I asked her about it. She said she just had it recovered in the antique looking suede. It is new down in the back pillow and nice new foam in the seat cushion. Can't beat that!

So, I called Marc right away. I was at the store with my dear friend, Lacey and she sat in the chair and gave her definite and enthusiastic approval. Marc said that it sounded like a good deal. You see, our current "guest" chair in our living room is a big old black swivel glide rocker with a glide footstool. While the pleather chair is comfy, it was starting to look a little worse for the wear. I got it as a senior in high school, so we knew we would eventually need to find a replacement chair. In my opinion this was the perfect option. I mean, if someone wanted to buy us a brand new reclining chair for two I wouldn't object, but that probably won't be happening anytime soon. :)

Here are the pictures of the cleaning and refreshing.

Great construction on this chair, but it was a bit yucky. See the coil cover here? Yuck!

I simply had to clean the chair up. A little elbow grease, a vacuum and many dust rags later we had this.

I gave it a rub down with some Old English after this shot was taken.

Here is the replacement coil cover that I made with some burlap and fabric I had sitting around.

Here it is tacked in place with some furniture tacks.

The finished cleaned up project!

Here it is in our living room. I like the chair because it is big and comfy, low to the ground (nice for short people like me) and it just feels a little more adult than our old chair. A little less college and a little more thrifty shabby chic. The chair also gets Marc and Dave approval for comfort, so it must be good!

Lord of the Rings: A Review

2009-09-01T08:31:00.008-05:00

I finished the Lord of the Rings about a week ago. In honor of that momentous event, I will give a brief review. There may be some spoilers.

I enjoyed the books to some degree. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being "My Favorite Book EVER!" I would give the series a 5.

Things I liked:

1. Frodo and Sam and their tight-knit relationship.

2. The Frodo and Sam portion of their journey.

3. Oddly, I liked Smeagol. He made me laugh. He was creepy, but his dialect was hilarious.

4. The portion set in Lothlorien. That was a really good part.

5. I loved Gandolf's sarcastic dislike for Pippin. Hilarious.

6. I loved the Ents and Treebeard.

Things I disliked:

1. The length of the dark parts. Sometimes it just drug on and on.

2. There wasn't enough focus on Arwen for me to buy into her character as the true love interest of Aragorn. For me, it was more "likeable" for Aragorn to end up with Eowyn because she is pretty amazing. I just think that Tolkien didn't put enough emphasis on Arwen early on during the Rivendell part of the story.

3. What is up with the Ents not finding the Entwives?!?!?! You're killing me Tolkien! You wrap up something as minute and barely mentioned as Sam's love life, but you won't satisfy the centuries-long longings of Treebeard and the other Ents? Come on!

4. I got sick of all the poems. Seriously, Tolkien, you can just write a book of poetry, you don't need to throw it all in the Lord of the Rings series. They were random most of the time, and after reading all of them in the first book and having it add nothing to the story-line, I skipped them in subsequent books. Don't judge.

5. Orcs. I hate them. They are icky and gross. I know they were needed for the story, but I felt the need to state here that they were definitely NOT my favorite part of the story.

6. Violence, death, danger, etc. I knew what I was getting into when I read them, but I still thought that the best parts were the more "peaceful" parts. I know the violence was necessary, but I don't have to like it.

And that, my friends, is my review. Enjoy!

My new (potential) logo

2009-08-28T14:52:00.004-05:00

Question of the day. Which option do you like better? Do you like the logo? Just curious.

This logo is not for this website, per se, but rather for my crafty pursuits should I care to sell them. I hope that makes sense!

Option 1:

Option 2:

Check out the Thirty by 30 list!

2009-08-27T08:37:00.006-05:00

That's right! I finished the Lord of the Rings book/trilogy last night. :) I know, I'm amazing. :)

I couldn't fall asleep afterward because I was so stunned that I had done it. :)

Oscar likes to read too. Or at least sleep on books. I know the picture is random, but it makes me smile. :)

After and After - UPDATED!

2009-08-26T17:40:00.003-05:00

Instead of titling this Before and After, I went with After and After. I forgot to take a before shot. But I think that is okay. I will just describe the way it used to look.

Imagine a black tray with a hideous orange and red and yellow floral design. Got it in your head? Make it look a little worse. Now, that is the before.

Here is the after.

It is now my message board in my office. The little magnets you see are old vintage buttons that I made into magnets by gluing the buttons to tiny magnets. They work great. It is a fun way to show off some of my favorite pictures from work (and from friends).

Just a little Tuesday Trash to Treasure for you...on a Wednesday!

UPDATE:
I should also mention that I used my favorite spray paint to paint this. See this post for more info. The hanger is just a simple satin ribbon glued on with Gorilla Glue. I love that stuff for gluing on things that don't show! It holds really well. However, you should know that a little goes a long way. It has a tendency to "grow" as it dries, so you will want to test it on projects where it won't show (like this project) before moving on to other crafty pursuits.

Spontaneous Crafting

2009-08-25T16:03:00.006-05:00

I did this over my lunch break.

Here is a close up of the stitching on the ends. It is in white, so it is harder to photograph. Don't you love the yummy Amy Butler print?!

Why did I make this? Because I have been watching CSS and Dreamweaver tutorials all day and my elbows were hurting from leaning on my desk. Hence the spontaneous lunch craft. Here is a brief tutorial if you are so inspired. I call it a Wrist Wrest. I know. I'm so creative!

How To Make a Wrist Wrest:

1. Get an 18" by 8" piece of fabric.

2. Hot-dog fold it in half (i.e. fold it so it is long and skinny) with the right sides of the fabric facing the inside of the fold.

3. Sew up the long side and up one of the short sides, leaving the last side open for filling it with rice.

4. Turn the bag inside out and poke out the corners nicely.

5. After poking out the corners, stitch the already closed short end again, this time with a decorative stitch about .25" from the edge of the bag. This step is optional, but I like it because then, when I close the bag, I can stitch the other end closed with the same stitch and they will match (with no hidden stitching required)!

5. Fill with your filling of choice. I suggest rice as it lays nicely and can be used as a hot or cold pack in a pinch! However, you could also use lentils (nice round beans that feel fun), corn, cherry pits, flax seed and even a pinch of lavender in there to make it smell nice. As you fill, be sure to feel the bag. You don't want it too full. Otherwise the filling can't move and adjust to your body.

6. Fold in the rough edge on the open part of the bag about 1/2" and finger press the seam so it is straight. Then use the same decorative stitch to close the open end of the bag.

Want one? Want me to make it? I will, for only $7! Let me know if you would like to order one by leaving a comment on the blog. They make a great wrist cushion for those of us who work on computers all day. They also double as great hot and cold packs!

Anniversary Celebration Weekend

2009-08-23T20:40:00.011-05:00

Here is the kickoff photo from our anniversary weekend. I got off work early and we left for Fort Worth at around 1 on Friday. What fun!

As I checked in at the infamous Hilton, I made sure to ask if it was a non-smoking room on a non-smoking floor. The front desk clerk assured me that it was. Curiously, as we arrived on the non-smoking floor it did not have one of those handy non-smoking signs. "No problem," we thought, "I'm sure that it is non-smoking. They can't have messed it up again, right?"

Bottom line? Never say never. The room smelled like stale icky smoke. We called the front desk, feeling a little like hard-to-pleasers, and asked for a new room.

As the bellhop (do they still call them that? - no matter, this guy was really old, so it is possible he has worked there since they called them bellhops) walked us to our new room. We noticed this interesting sign posted next to all the doors on our new non-smoking floor.

This OBVIOUS sign caused us pause. Hilton, do you really think we are that dumb? We can read the signs. I know a non-smoking sign when I see one. And I can only interpret the absence of the aforementioned sign means that it was not really a non-smoking room.

Hilton, I think I should clarify our terms. Non-smoking means that no one can smoke in the room...ever. It does not mean that the current paying customers happen to not be smokers, thus making it a "current" non-smoking room. I am thinking they must have misunderstood what we meant. Because it seems impossible that one hotel could get it so horribly wrong...twice.

The new room smelled fresh and wonderful. The bed was deliciously inviting and the down comforter was super comfy. The stay there was pretty great, for the Hilton.

Oh yeah, Hilton, one more thing. What are those little yellow "Do Not Disturb" signs for? I always thought they meant do not disturb. Apparently not. At nine in the morning (checkout isn't until noon) we were awoken by a housekeeper trying to get into our room. So, Hilton, what are the signs for?

They also charged for high speed internet and charged us twice for our valet parking...but at this point we kind of expected it.

For any blog readers or blog stalkers (I know you're out there and I still like you) who may think we sound a bit cranky or critical, please know, we are not hard to please. All we ask is for a good, clean room with no smoke smell and some peace and quiet when we put up the "Do Not Disturb" sign. We really think that this can't be too much to ask.

Enough of that. Here is a picture from our first evening in Fort Worth. We were at Reata. Yum! Behind us are some cigars. I tried to convince Marc to smoke a "Winston Churchill," but he declined. Sad! :)

On Saturday, we went to NRH2O. What fun! It is a great waterpark. We had a blast on the lazy river in our double inner-tube. We also enjoyed the wave pool and the SplashFactory!

On Saturday night we went to an Ethiopian restaurant. It was really yummy!

Here is the outside of the restaurant. It doesn't look like much, but the food was wonderful.

The spice of the food reminded me of Indian food. It was very flavorful. We ate it with this special bread called injera. The bread is kind of like a pancake that you tear off and use as a utensil. It tastes a lot like sourbread and is textured like a pancake. It is served lukewarm (at least in our case). No fork required! Our meal looked a lot like this (I didn't feel comfortable taking out the camera and looking like a total weirdo, so I lifted this photo off a google search).

I also enjoyed a GREAT cup of coffee and Marc enjoyed a cup of tea. What a great evening. Thanks, babe. Check one off the Thirty by 30 list!

For all of you wondering, I am currently on page 880 of Lord of the Rings. 128 more pages to go!

August 12th, 2009 - Four Wonderful Years!

2009-08-23T20:29:00.004-05:00

Here are some "Happy Anniversary" pictures. Here are the pearls from my wonderful hubby! :)

We ate (on our actual anniversary) at George's. It is a very "Waco" restaurant that serves your basic burger and fries. I had a chicken sandwich with pico de gallo and guacamole on it. Marc had a philly cheesesteak. We shared some great beer battered onion rings. We had to work out hard to get that off. :)

Friendly Fun

2009-08-23T19:39:00.005-05:00

We love kid movies. :) Here are our friends, Adam and Lynne, watching Ice Age 3. It was really fun! :)

And here we are, looking silly! :)

One evening, Jalon and Dianna came over and we had yummy "Matilda" cake and ice cream. After our yummy food we were inspired to share our handy homemaker tricks. I know, we're weird. I showed Jalon how to fold a fitted sheet. Thanks, Martha, you might be full of yourself, but you did teach me how to fold a fitted sheet and it has changed my laundry loving life.

After mastering the art of folding a sheet, we moved on to folding t-shirts. I remembered that I once saw a video online that demonstrated how to fold a t-shirt in two seconds. It was in Japanese. That could explain the looks on our faces in the next picture.

Here I am trying it on my own.

Here we are trying it together.

Don't worry. We totally mastered it because we are awesome. Then, one week later, we showed off for our other friends. I would like to say that they were impressed, but I think they just thought we were weird for watching a video in Japanese.