I found this lovely tutorial on how to line your own envelopes with lovely paper and had to share! You never imagine such pretty things could be so simple and easy — check it out!

Photo courtesy from blog a la cart

This week, I decided to tackle one of the goals from my 101 in 1001 list that I added to promote encouragement. The task was to handwrite 5 letters of encouragement. Of course, all 5 didn’t have to be completed at once, but I was enjoying myself so much I kept coming up with more sweet people in my life that I wanted to encourage and love on! Even being able to complete and mark off one of my smaller goals is exciting!

So the task is officially complete and I look forward to sending more letters of encouragement to even more special people in my life. In the past I have received handwritten letters from a few very special women who told me how special I was to them and shared all of the amazing things that they saw in me. These letters are very dear to my heart and I wanted to pass on the love.

I purchased a set of 20 stationery cards so that I have reason to continue sending these letters over time. I do enjoy sending words of encouragement, however they usually are sent via e-mail or Facebook; I think that the handwritten note is a lost art. There is something personal and extra special about seeing loving words written out in the sender’s very own handwriting.

Send your own!

Below are a few ideas to help you think of who to write to and why to write:

• Those who need to persevere (tough times, sympathy)
• Those who work hard &/or serve the body of Christ (encouragement, thanks)
• Those who encourage you (love, thanks)
• Those that you miss seeing (reminder that they are being thought of)
• Those who are a good example to you (thanks, encouragement)
• Those who are good friends & listeners (love, thanks)
  

Thanks for following along on my journey of 101 in 1001 days! I am excited to plan for and tackle a few other goals this summer!

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Hi Friends,

As you all know I created my 101 in 1001 days list last week and I have been enjoying choosing which of the goals to begin with! The first off of our list was to join a Bible study, which both Garrett & I are fairly excited about. It centers around God’s purpose of marriage and we look forward to learning from and growing with the other couples in the study. This week it is off to my next goal – “keep a prayer journal for 4 months.”

I decided to invest some time into designing a tool that will work well for me; I did my research online for ideas, templates and Scriptures surrounding the importance and the gift of prayer. Now I offer to you a FREE copy of my newly designed Prayer Journal.

Prayer is a gift from God; what better gift than to be able to communicate with our Creator and know that He hears, He cares and He answers.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15)

Lately with all of the desires of my heart and the need for God’s strength (with my back pain), patience & love (at work) and faith (to live for Him), I have been thirsting for a deeper relationship with God. It hit me that I can have this deeper relationship with God if I share the desires of my heart with Him, give up all things to Him, and lean on Him.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7)

That is where this Prayer Journal comes in. I do not only want to pray;  I want to hear. I do not only want to believe; I want to live. I do not only want to be a blessing; I want to recognize God’s blessings in return. If I do not stop to take time to see God’s blessing, then my relationship and my faith does not grow deeper but remains the same. We are called to pray, to give thanks and to have faith that God does and will answer our prayers. I believe that this is God’s will for us.

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

The verse above is the so-called motto of my Prayer Journal and the prayer life that I seek to live out. Will you join me?

I am offering up this printable prayer journal to everyone as a free download in hopes that you too will grow in your faith and be joyful and thankful as you recognize the the blessing that comes from consistent and faithful prayer. It is a simple template which includes a page with Scriptural Principles of Prayer, prayer categories broken down by day (each day you will be praying for a specific category in life), as well as Memory Verse pages (to keep track of the verses that you have chosen to commit to memory & notes as to why the verse(s) were important enough to do so).

Enjoy this little gift from me. I will be praying that this tool will be a blessing to many and would love to hear any feedback.

Be blessed!

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Have I ever mentioned just how much I enjoy planning parties?! Aside from the fact that I love blessing others and being with friends and family, I love party planning because it is an amazing avenue for creativity. Especially these days with Google search, Pinterest and so many other awesome social networks; the ideas and inspirations are endless!

Well, I am currently planning several parties and helping with a couple of weddings to boot. Guess what, I am lovin’ it! So I thought I would do a post on all of the fun things I have been up to for these upcoming events. I don’t have any photos of finished product yet, but inspiration will do! Many of these ideas were found via Pinterest. Oh what would I do with out you, Pinterest? Thanks for organizing my events so easily!

Wedding #1 — Rustic barn wedding from Rustic Wedding Chic

The Idea: Wooden slabs with vase of baby’s breath; we are adding a lovely double sided frame with a photo of the couple

Bridal Shower: Hawaiian Luau theme – image from Sweet Designs

The Idea: Displaying sweet treats on trays with tiny seashells as a base and flower accents

70s Inspired Party — Color Inspiration found on Pinterest

The Idea: Spearmint, Peach & Buttercup colors all throughout the party; keeping an elegant but fun atmosphere

On top of that, I have started a new board on Pinterest called “Food Display.” There are endless ways to display your food. I think that any gathering involving food can really be enhanced with simple or extravagant displays of the food. I am sure this board will grow quickly as I find new ways to sweeten up the food selection and I hope others will find these ideas helpful when working with food displays!

The Board:

The Idea: Pie pans on top of old vases (upsidedown) to achieve levels of food — think it’s time to go garage saling for these beauties

That is just several sneak peeks of what is going on in my creative life right now and I look forward to sharing the finished products with you — Coming soon, this Summer!

Thanks for visiting! And Happy Party Planning!

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The first photo of us in 2012… not to shabby! We decided to start the year off right with a trip to Santa Barbara to visit the butterflies and the coast. Considering we had weather in the 70s it was definitely a perfect way to begin 2012.

It is pretty amazing to me that another year of life has gone by! I am beyond excited for what this new year has to bring. I thought I would share my goals for this year because I am so excited for the changes and seeing how it effects our lives!

Before I share, a huge thanks to all who come and read my blog! I do hope you enjoy your visits and that you will continue to come by. I just love sharing, being creative and inspiring.

2 0 1 2  G O A L S

1. Keep it Simple — I will be “gutting” out our apartment and keeping only the essentials, as well as, budgeting and keeping a home management binder to help build good habits.
2. Serve God. Serve People — We will be focusing on finding opportunities to serve inside and outside of church. Who knows where God will lead but I know that even the smallest things to us have always been used in big ways by our heavenly Father.
3. Journal to Happiness — I will be keeping a small journal of our journey — how God uses things & people in our lives, how He uses us, my health & weight loss goals, other inspirations to becoming a Proverbs 31 woman and everything in between.

I try not to make resolutions because I rarely follow through; these goals are long term, life-changing things. If I can “de-clutter” my life, my home, and my finances then I know that I can live simply. If I choose to live for God and serve Him and His people then I can be confident that I am glorifying Him and have the ability to live joyfully and peacefully. If I can consistently keep track of my journey in the important and special parts of my life, I know that I will consistently know my blessings and God’s love for me.

Surely there will be posts of my inspiration, my progress and many many more projects — my home management binder coming soon! I wish you all success in following through with your 2012 goals and blessings to you and yours.

Coronado Buttery Preserve – Santa Barbara, CA

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The holidays have snuck up on me this year and while I was thinking about how much I can not wait for Christmas, I find that Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away! Now that I have had some Fall fun, I am definitely ready to hop into the Christmas season (which begins strictly the day after Thanksgiving in my house!).

Are you ready!? With the help of Etsy I am sure you can find plenty of good buys, inspiration, ideas and much more. Here are a few of my faves!

Soft White Yarn Wreath from Saffron Fields

Rustic Garland from Sunshine Safari Homegoods

Let It Snow Rustic Christmas tree Pallet Art from Songbirds & Lace

Christmas Bunting from Sew Realicoul

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