My blog and my Etsy shop are back! https://etsy.me/2WBRqcb

I’m excited to have my Etsy shop up and running. The Vintage Button Jar is back better and stronger than ever. 

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and an awesome New Year!

Happy Holidays

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Blogging For Books Review - When Work and Family Collide

A great common sense book about putting yourself and family first.  Something we all already know but seldom put into practice. Great book for both men an women.

Blogging for Books Book Review: Saving Grace

I highly recommend this book!  It was great and after finding out this book is the second book following the lives of these four women I can't wait to read "The Prayer Tree" by Annie Jones.  I will be looking for more of her books!

Amanda

My daughter Amanda is leaving for 10 months in February for Americore.  She has started a blog to document her adventures.  If you get a chance stop by and see what she is up to.  http://amandasamericorpsexperience.blogspot.com.  So proud of this kid!

Blogging For Books Review: Torn

I just finished reading Torn by Jud Wilhite   In it he teaches that when we trust in God and his word the pieces of our lives will come together.  Maybe not always as we had thought or planned but in hind site in the way it was supposed to be.  A good book with a lot of real life examples and the application of Gods word to real life.

Christmas Pig

Decoration in front of a cops house in my neighborhood.  Cute!  The kids don't get it?

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Blogging For Books Review: A Sound Among The Trees

A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner is a great book!  I love the way it follows the history of the family from the civil war to the present time.  Rumors of espionage and ghosts add to the mystery.  I really liked the characters and the flow of the book.  I liked this book so much I am definitely going to read her other two books The Shape of Mercy and Lady in Waiting.

Blogging For Books Review: Enemies of the Heart

I liked this book a lot.  It is written in an easy to read conversational style.  I love the way the author explains biblical stories in an easy to understand way and I ecspecially love the real life examples of these stories and the lessons to be learned from them.

It is clear that the author is a gifted pastor with a knack for giving common sense advice about why we do the things we do. He explains where our feelings of guilt, anger, greed and jealousy come from and how to confront these feelings and gives sound advice on getting past them.

Another great thing about this book are the discussion questions for each chapter at the end of the book that you can work on with or without a group.

This book was provided free of charge by WaterBrook Press for this review.

Blogging For Books Review: Where Will You Go From Here

I really liked this book by Valerie Burton who is a Certified Personal and Executive Coach.


When life takes an unexpected turn and knocks you off your course this book guides you to ask yourself the right questions and helps you to figure out what your next step should be. I like that she used her own personal experiences as well as those of others and takes you step by step through the initial shock to coming out on the other side stronger and better able to handle future unexpected setbacks

Using a unique combination of faith, common sense and psychology the author teaches what it means to be resilient in the face of adversity.

She takes you from assessing where you are, how you got there and how to begin the healing process. She calls this recovery "post-tramatic growth" and explains that all traumas, large and small, leave us changed. But by making wise decisions and looking for the lessons to be learned from this setback we CAN be strong, happy and confident no matter what life throws at us.

This book was provided free of charge by WaterBrook Press for this review.

What to do...

What to do when your snowed in and your family wants dessert?

Make the easiest chocolate cake ever...

Easy Chocolate Cake

I'm not kidding it takes 5 minutes to mix.

And best of all you can be out of eggs and milk and still whip this cake up.

Easy Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups water

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tbl spoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Butter/grease and flour cake pan(s)

   3 8" round or square

   2 9" square

   1 9"x13" or 7"x11" rectangle

   1 10"x15"x1" jelly roll pan

Combine all of the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda & salt) in a large mixing bowl.

Add the wet ingredients (water, oil & vanilla).

Whisk all ingredients together until well mixed.

Pour evenly into your pan(s).

If your not going to ice the cakes at this point you can sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top before baking at this point.

Bake for 25-35 minutes.  Until toothpick comes out of the center clean.

(I baked a 9"x13" pan for 35 minutes)

Let cool completely and sprinkle with powdered sugar or ice.

My Favorite Cookbook...by Pioneer Woman Ree Drummand

I have to admit I'm not the greatest cook in the world but I do enjoy cooking.  With my kids getting older and fending for themselves and my husband working two jobs I just don't have to cook every night.   When its just my daughter and me home we don't really cook a meal we mostly just have soups, salads and sandwiches...whatever is easy.  But lately I've had more time to spend in the kitchen trying new recipes and enjoying every minute of it.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks

A few months ago I picked up a copy of Ree Drummond's cookbook The Pioneer Woman Cooks.  I've followed her blog for a couple of years now and have always loved her quirky style.  Her recipes are family friendly and so easy!  No fancy ingredients here...lots of times I already have what I need in the pantry or freezer and can easily whip up one of her recipes. She also writes each recipe out step by step with great pictures so even I can follow along and not screw them up!

I will be posting some of our favorite recipe's  from the cookbook along with some of my families other favorites. 

Next month Ree is coming to St Louis on a book tour for her newest book,  a novel,  The Pioneer Woman Black Heels to Tractor Wheels.  She also wrote a cute children's book,  Charlie the Ranch Dog,  that is coming out in the Spring.  She posts about Charlie all the time on her blog and now he will be the star of his own book!  So cute.  I'm going to the book signing with my 15 year old daughter who is also a huge fan. 

If you haven't visited Ree's blog you really should she has a cute quirky style and takes awesome pictures too.  

Here is the link: The Pioneer Woman 

You can find all of her books at Amazon.

Charlie the Ranch Dog

Black Heels to Tractor Wheels

SheyB Camera Strap $15

Boy do I have a deal for you!

GroopDealz is showcasing the wonderful SheyB Camera Strap for $15 + $3 shipping

SWEET!.

If you've got a SLR camera, you certainly want your camera strap to reflect your creative personality.

You're not boring, why should your camera be?

Here is one of my favorites.

Hurry, this offer ends on Sunday at midnight.

Merry Christmas



Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Silhouette's For Christmas




Sammy

I finished the last of the Silhouettes that needed to be completed for Christmas. Here are the ones I did of my nephew Sammy and my Niece Abby.







Abby


And here are the ones I did for a Christmas order.



Big Sister



Twin 1

 

 

Twin 2

They turned out pretty well and they will be there in plenty of time for Christmas.

Pretty Wreath's

I found a couple of really cute and clever ideas for Christmas wreaths over at My Blessed Life.

Myra at My Blessed Life made both of these wreaths and has shared the tutorials with us.

Isn't this Peppermint Wreath the cutest thing!

Click here for the tutorial.

This one is a Pine Cone & Book Page Wreath, very pretty.

Click here for the tutorial.

Check out My Blessed Life for more great tutorial's.

Louie and Otis

Sounds like the names of a couple of serial killers doesn't it?

No just my next door neighbors dogs.  They have adopted us and now expect a treat every time they see us. I not only have to come up with a treat when we go outside but now they beg for one everytime I pull up in the car...I now have a large bag of treats in my car.

This is Louie...he sits and looks innocent until he gets his treat. 

This is Otis he isn't so innocent he usually jumps and yelps until he gets his ..he refuses to sit for his treat but won't shut up until he gets it. 

We've created a couple of monsters here...what was I thinking when I promised them that first treat!



Just a silly picture.

Here is a picture of our silly Isabel in the tub.  She is such a clown.