Memorial Day - A Time to Remember

Memorial Day



This Memorial Day, before I grill and before I spend time with family and friends, I want to spend time giving Thanks for all of the men and women who gave their lives to protect ours. Without them, our lives would look a whole lot different.

Let's also not forget all of the families and loved ones they leave behind. Their gift to our country is every bit as great as the men and women overseas protecting us.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13

Happy Memorial Day to all!

Good Friday Should Really Be Great Friday

(Although I wrote this post last Good Friday, I believe it is a great reminder for every Good Friday, so I've re-posted it at the top of my blog. Wishing everyone a VERY Happy Easter... May you focus on what this Holiday is truly about!)

Good Friday is observed on the Friday before Easter Sunday. On this day, Christians commemorate the passion, or suffering, and death on the cross of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

Many Christians spend this day in fasting, prayer, repentance, and meditation on the agony and suffering of Christ on the cross.

The biblical account of Jesus' death on the cross, or crucifixion, his burial and his resurrection, or rising from the dead, can be found in the following passages of Scripture: Matthew 27:27-28:8; Mark 15:16-16:19; Luke 23:26-24:35; and John 19:16-20:30.


Photo I took of the Sagemont Church Cross

Today is Good Friday. If you read the account of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus in the passages above, each of the gospels will tell a slightly different account of what happened that day. However, the core details are the same.

He was innocent. He was mocked. He was beaten. He wore a Crown of Thorns. He was nailed to the cross. His mother was there. He died. He was buried and He WAS raised from the dead.

There were many who believed that soldiers had removed Jesus' body from the tomb and there was no resurrection, UNTIL they saw for themselves the undeniable scars. His nail scarred hands and feet. Those scars represent redemption and they represent forgiveness. Those scars represent the love for mankind that our Heavenly Father and His Son bestow upon us. In His complete restoration, the nail scars and the scar in His side were left intact.

I see my resurrected Savior without the dirt and mud covering His body, without the dried blood matted hair, and without parts of the whip left in His back. However, I see the scars and although the jagged scars on his back may be gruesome to some. To me, it is a reminder of the love he showed that day. A mark of magnificence.

Do our scars mean the same thing?

I have had self-inflicted wounds from insecurity and little belief in my self worth. These wounds that are more than fleshly wounds. They are wounds left from hurtful criticism and every.single.one of those wounds has left a scar. Unless I forbid the enemy to use them against me, those scars will continue to ridicule and haunt me.

Choose to see your scars as a representation of redemption not only today, but everyday. They represent forgiveness. They represent a love for us that only our Heavenly Father and His Son can bestow upon us.

Dear Lord, may we realize afresh today what Your death and resurrection mean for us. Forgiveness … Freedom … and the ability to walk with You through this fallen world into eternity. May we always find our satisfaction in You and Your willingness to offer Yourself to us. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Have a GREAT Good Friday!

*Tiffany

St. Patty's Day Recipes

St. Patty’s Day RECIPES:



Courtesy of Epicurious.com...{clockwise from top left} Beef and Guinness Pie,
Bittersweet Irish Chocolate Whiskey Cake,
Irish Soda Bread (several recipes available), and
Champ (mashed potatoes).

St. Patty’s Day COCKTAILS

CHEERS!

Raise a glass with one of these tasty, Irish-themed cocktails:
• Dublin Dream (Irish cream, vodka, Chambord, & more)
• Irish Snakebite (Irish stout, hard cider, & blackcurrant syrup)
• Everybody’s Irish {Irish whisky, green crème de menthe, & Green Chartreuse}
• White Knight (Irish cream, Irish Whisky, coconut rum, half & half

Beer Cupcakes - St. Patty's Day

"BEER CUPCAKES"



Aren't these FAB?! Looking for some creative party ideas for St. Patrick’s Day?

Entertaining expert & cupcake guru Jeanne Benedict has some fabulous ideas in the dessert department… my favorite being the “Beer Cupcakes”!!

This design is all about the presentation, so you can still stick with traditional cupcake flavors topped with a generous helping of vanilla or cream cheese frosting.

For the “beer” wrapper, look for scrapbook paper with a similar motif or purchase a beer background stock photo and print & cut them yourself.

Love Bug Cupcakes

Love Bug Cupcakes

Aren't these the cutest cupcakes ever??

Ingredients
1 box (18.25 ounce) devil's-food cake mix
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 cans (12 ounce each) whipped vanilla frosting
Pink icing color
Clear crystal sugar
Tootsie Roll Midgees, yellow Laffy Taffy candies, black licorice lace, red and yellow jellied candies, M&M Minis, and Junior Mints
1 can (16 ounce) chocolate frosting

Directions
1. Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners. Prepare cupcake batter using cake mix, 1 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup oil, and 4 eggs. Bake as directed on box. Let cupcakes cool completely. Tint vanilla frosting light pink using icing color. Frost cupcakes with pink icing. Roll edge of each cupcake in crystal sugar.
2. To decorate Bumblebees: Cut and shape Tootsie Rolls and Laffy Taffy into small rounds. Alternate two brown pieces and two yellow ones for body and head. Attach two pieces of licorice for antennae to the brown end to complete head, and slice a yellow fruit jelly in half for the wings.
3. To decorate Ladybugs: Place chocolate frosting in a freezer-weight zip-top bag and snip off one corner. Pipe a mound of chocolate icing in center of each cupcake. Slice a red jelly in half for the wings; place on top of chocolate icing. Attach M&M Minis to wings using frosting. Attach a Junior Mint for the head and two black licorice pieces for the antennae.

Merry CHRISTmas from The Jones Family!

(Photo by Southern Grace Photography)

As you and your family celebrate this holiday season, we hope and pray that you have joy in your hearts, great family and friends to share it with, and good times that build warm memories. We pray that you are blessed with all you need and much, much more!

Thank you Lord for Blessing us with another Christmas. May you alone be the Reason for the Season!

Wishing you and your family a VERY Merry CHRISTmas!

Much Love,

Abel, Tiffany & Ashton

What a GREAT gift idea!

Little Birdie Secrets had this GREAT idea! A home-made hot cocoa mix and in the picture below, they found an electric milk frother at IKEA for $2.00! Score!

Here are further details she had posted on her blog...This simple hot cocoa mix is another great neighbor/co-worker gift that you can put together super fast. We used these mini "quilted" jars, mostly because they're just so little and cute, and because for one person, it provides several cups of cocoa. (One jar holds one cup of mix.) If you wanted to make some for a couple or family, try using a pint or quart jar. Just add more mix!

Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe
10 cups dry milk powder
4 3/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups powdered non-dairy creamer
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Store in a jar or airtight container.
Yields 15 cups (enough for 15 of the small jars pictured here).

To make the cocoa, stir 3 heaping Tablespoons into 3/4 c. hot water or milk. I always advise topping it off with whipped cream as well, but that's just me (and my sweet tooth).Cheater version: Buy the bulk size Swiss Miss hot cocoa mix at Costco or WalMart and add 3 teaspoons of flavored non-dairy creamer per serving to make a gourmet flavor (see below). Try the Swiss Miss Dark Chocolate mix plus a few teaspoons of Ghiradelli Sweetened Cocoa for a dark chocolate flavor. Go ahead--cut corners. It'll be our little secret..If you really want to make an impression, why not make gourmet hot chocolate flavors? Or add layers of sweet treats for a cool presentation.

Here are a few more ideas for truly gourmet hot cocoa:
*Substitute the non-dairy creamer with a flavored non-dairy creamer, like hazelnut, amaretto, vanilla, or cinnamon for gourmet flavors.
*Peppermint cocoa can be made by crushing candy canes and mixing them with the cocoa mix in your food processor (this makes the pieces even smaller so they blend well with the cocoa). Add a layer of crushed candy canes in the middle or on top of your mix to show off the flavor in the jar!

*Add a few teaspoons of instant coffee crystals per serving for mocha cocoa.
*Layer fun dry toppings with the cocoa mix in your jar. Try mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, red and green jimmies (sprinkles), or crushed candy canes.
*Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave and dip the head of a plastic spoon in it. When it dries, wrap the chocolate-covered head in a plastic or cello bag and tie with a ribbon. Attach it to your jar of hot chocolate to be used with the first cup. The chocolate will melt when they stir, adding a little extra creaminess!

Now for the jar…. All supplies are Stampin' Up! We traced the inside of the ring lid on the back of patterned paper, cut it out, and glued it to the top of the lid. Then we layered a strip of coordinating patterned paper on a piece of card stock and wrapped it around the jar, securing it with adhesive. We stamped tag stamp, layered it on card stock, and adhered it to the front. Then we tied a matching ribbon around the top and tied on a little tag with the instructions for mixing the cocoa (see above). Another classic idea is to put a square of Christmas fabric between the lid and the ring for an old-fashioned look.

Hot Cocoa & Marshmallows

I found this on Homemade By Jill's blog.

This is another "take" on the home-made version of Hot Cocoa & Marshmallows. What a great gift!

I really like how she packaged the marshmallows with cute labels...the recipe she used was from Your Heart Out.

Yummy!

Pilgrim Hat Cookies

Pilgrim Hats



I saw this idea in an email from Woman's Day.

So quick, so simple, so easy! Right up my alley.

Thanksgiving Mantle

Staci at Lizard & Ladybug created this Thanksgiving mantle and I think it's FAB!



Staci's Thankgiving Mantle is too much fun!

Turkey Cupcakes

Aren't these the cutest cupcakes ever?!



Visit Kitchen Corners for the tutorial on how you can make these turkey cupcakes part of your own Thanksgiving dessert spread.

Do YOU Have Googly Eyes?

Oh Martha... You have done it again!

How CAUUUUTE are these shoes and bangles?! They would be perfect for any Halloween Party!



If you want to create your own, go here for instructions.

Wordless Wednesday - Vampires

Halloween Rag Wreath

I absolutely think this is the greatest Halloween Wreath... There is just something about it that I LOVE!! (Probably the lime-green lettering... it always catches my eye!)

A. Find some super cute holiday fabric. I got a total of 2 yards in four different patterns and had a little left over. You could probably get away with a yard and a half, but it would be close. Also, the original inspiration used a metal hanger as the form but I found a wire wreath form for only $1.99 at the craft store. Since it has four rings your wreath will turn out much fuller. Then just cut strips of fabric, about 6" long and 1" wide, and tie in a random pattern around your ring. I doubled knotted because I didn't want my hard work to come undone.

B. Take a piece of ribbon and tie a loop about the top of your wreath to hang it from. I tied it around the second ring.

C. Next I made a bow to attach to the loop. I made two simple bows, one larger then the other, and then hot glued the two together. Take a small piece of ribbon and wrap that around the middle to finish the look. (D)

E. Glue the bow to the loop.

F. I wanted to attach the word "BOO" but the craft store was out of "b" so I went with "EEK." I painted them green and then topped it with sparkly silver paint.

G. Attaching the letters to the wreath ended up being a little more tricky. I ended up hot gluing a opened bobbi pin to the back of the letter. (Glue it at the top, not the middle like in the picture.) Make a small hook in the end of the pin.

H. Use that hook to hot glue the letter to the back of the wreath. I also had to add a few drops of hot glue to a couple fabric pieces to keep the letters where I wanted them.And your done, just hang and enjoy!

Isn't it the CAUUUUTEST?! Just think of the other wreathes you could make using this same idea! Christmas, Spring, etc... Now, GO GET CRAFTING!!

Check out this rag wreath featured at A Little Bit of Everything

**I always like to give credit where credit is due, so if anyone in Blogland knows who featured the "Eek" Wreath, please let me know so that I can add a link to their post on this one. Thanks so much!

Boo!

Check out this FABULOUS project from Everything I Love and More

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the Holidays? Fun crafts like this one make me LOVE the Holidays even MORE!



The wood was all unfinished and she painted everything with Americana acrylic paint in Lamp (ebony) black. The canister lids were silver, so I did 4 coats of paint on those little guys.

She filled all 3 canisters with colorful candy corn.

...and this is her finished project.

Aren't these just the CAUUUUTEST?!

For Christmas just change the candy and ribbon and paint red letters to spell JOY.

Pop the Pumpkin

Did you see this cute Halloween party game idea from Martha?

Gotta LOVE Martha... She is AMA-A-ZING!



Wouldn't this be great for a back to school party? Just switch the orange for red balloons & you have an apple pop!

Halloween Decorations

Shelley Smith from House of Smiths and Wonderfully Wordy (two of my FAVE Blogs) has done it again!

Is this awesome or what?

I'm having my Sorority's Annual Halloween Party at my House this year, so I better get going on my Halloween decorating!

thank you so much Shelley for sharing all your creative goodies with us on your blog. You are pretty Spectacular!

Sweets for your Sweetie

I found a great idea the other day while browsing One of a Kind Gifts

These girls have TONS of cute ideas to browse so, I've borrowed one of their ideas to share with all of you. Visit their site by clicking on the link above... You won't be sorry!

You may have noticed that Ben & Jerry's has many fun, non-traditional flavors of ice cream. For the ice-cream lover in your life, look no further!


(Click to enlarge)

I hope your Sweetie enjoys!

Happy Anniversary Big D!!

Today is our eleven/one year anniversary!!

11 years ago this month, I began dating the Man of My Dreams & one year ago today, I FiNALLY married him! I fell in Love with Big D the moment that I met him and I haven't stopped falling since that day.



I will say, in honor of 11 years of dating and 1 year of marriage to my incredible husband (who knew I'd ever say that?), there is no one else on this planet I would rather be negotiating the twists and turns of this life with. NO ONE. We fully get how intense this past year was and we most certainly have patted ourselves on the back for surviving. However, the reality is that we have chosen, together, to live our lives with our eyes constantly on the One who holds all the answers.

We have learned, that this is the only way to survive!!

Big D has always reminded me to put God first and that life isn't always easy or fair, but that HE is still in control and we'll trust Him no matter what!

I am certain that a happy marriage is the best gift we could give each other. I have learned a lot about myself and Big D in these last 11 years and I look forward to the many, many years we have ahead of us.



Big D, I'm so glad you picked me to go through life with!

I love you for all that you are!
I love you with my whole entire heart. You love life and hold nothing back.
I love that you are so kind to everyone you come into contact with.
I love that you get emotional when I talk about my feelings for you.
I love how social you are and that you are always the life of the party.
I love how you tuck me back into bed every morning as you are leaving and kiss my forehead.
I love how you hear a song on the radio that reminds you of me and you text me the lyrics.
I love that you sing every song on the radio and if you don't know the words, you make up your own.
I love that you never get tired of kissing me.
I love how I fit so perfectly in your arms.
I love how you pray.
I love how intently you look into my eyes when I'm telling you something important.
I love that I get to be a part of your every day.
I love that I get to spend my forever with YOU!
I love that you are still the Man of My Dreams!

I love you Big D!! You will always have my heart!