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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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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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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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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I am absolutely in love with this genius tool, forum, community — whatever you want to call it! You have to check it out.

First  go here — and see my “Boards” which include different “databases” of sorts that allow me to store my inspirations, ideas, recipes, favorite photos, etc. Each board has a category such as “Christmas Time” to help you find it and know what you are in for.

Now if you are interested, unfortunately you can not just join — you must be invited. And can I tell you how long I waited to find someone to invite me! (Actually, I had no clue I had to get invited, I sent in my email address to apply and never got anything back from Pinterest). So don’t do it that way. You are welcome to leave me a comment on this post with your email address if you would like to be invited and I will gladly send you an invitation!

Here are some snapshots of what type of boards I have going right now:

The best part is that the photo is only just the beginning. If you click on the photo you will also be able to select the link to the original post at the top right-hand corner to see the recipe or instructions or maybe even more details depending on the category of the photo.

This is the perfect database!

You can “Follow” other pinner’s boards so that you can see what they are pinning and even re-post their items (idea-networking at it’s best!). See why I am in love!?

Thanks for letting me share my latest obsession! I will have some new creations up this week so stay tuned!

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Here are some awesome blogs, tutorials and other inspirations that I have found during my planning:

Gorgeous tablescapping! ((The Food Addicts))

Mini Coconut Cakes Tutorial! ((My Cake School))

A Fun Hawaiian Dessert Buffet! ((Passion for Parties))

DIY Parasol Topiaries! ((Hostess with the Mostest))

Bright and Fun Luau Setting! ((The Cake Blog))

Be sure to click the links because these photos are only a snippet of the beauty and the fun ideas that are out there! Next Sunday is the party and I will be sharing the fun new recipes that I have found that I will be covering the tables with! Happy party planning!

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1. Party Planning!
2. Unique items that make parties extra special!
3. Etsy!

So I thought I would put together a mini guide to shops on Etsy that can help you plan & prepare for your parties. For those of you unfamiliar with Etsy, this is a website that allows creators and small businesses to get their products and creations out to the world! When you enter the Etsy homepage you can search through thousands of little shops for items such as jewelery, cards, printable games, vintage housewares, cupcake liners — you name it! It is a great resource and opportunity for creators like myself.

Searching through the shops takes some getting use to but if you utilize the tools that Etsy offers, you will soon fall in love as I did! First, I want to point out the search feature — put any wording in there and it will look for products that match your description (i.e. pink cupcake liners, yellow bird necklace, etc.). Second, you MUST use the Favorites option — there are two ways: add the item/listing as a favorite or add the whole shop as your favorite. When you are in the listing for an item and you are not sure you need it quite yet, simply look to the column on the right hand side and select “Add Item to Favorites.” Seem to love everything in the shop? In that same column select ” Add Shop to Favorites.” It is that easy and now you can view your favorites anytime by clicking on the heart up at the top of the Etsy website! Easy Peasy!

Enough talking! Here are some of my favorite shops that I run to for party planning items:

The Baker’s Confections
www.etsy.com/shop/thebakersconfections

This fun shop offers a large variety of cupcake liners, paper straws, colored twine,  favor boxes, sprinkle kits and more!

Refresh My Heart
www.etsy.com/shop/RefreshMyHeart

This little shop offers the most adorable way to sweeten up your summer parties and ice cream socials! Grab their fun and colorful ice cream cone wrappers before the summer is gone!

Funny Side of Life
www.etsy.com/shop/FunnySideofLife

Photo booths have become the latest trend at parties and weddings! Whether you throw up a colorful sheet as the background of a themed party or you set a stage for an elegant wedding, this shop has plenty of fun photo booth props and signs to enhance the experience. Check it out!

In The Clear
www.etsy.com/shop/InTheClear

A little bit of this, a lot of that… that is what you will find at this helpful shop! Nut & treat cups (shown above), glassine bags in bulk, a variety of patterned paper bags, colored twine and so much more — this shop may be your one stop shop for your events!

Bragging Bags
www.etsy.com/shop/braggingbags

This shop is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Perfect for any wedding or elegant occasion, you will find those perfect touches — including fresh sawdust (shown above), small & large chalkboards and tons of unique items that are easily customized for your event! Don’t forget to check out the jewelry and home decor sections!

Amongst Lovely Things
www.etsy.com/shop/AmongstLovelyThings

The name of this shop speaks for itself — lovely, lovely things reside in this shop! You will find gorgeous tableware, menus, handmade favors, linens and so much more! If you can’t resist beautiful tableware, I would turn and run while you still can!

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Happy Independence!

LINKS:

1. Ice Cream Bars on a Stick **Super Easy
2. Red, White & Blue Skewers ** Super Easy
3. Mason Jar Drinks with Festive Toppers
4. Licorice Stacks ** Super Easy
5. Red, White & Blue Jello Stars
6. Patriotic Fans *Martha Stewart
7. Hanging Star Medallions *Martha Stewart
8. Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

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Yellow is so bright and beautiful! I have been searching for some beautiful yellow items to add to my life and thought I would share some of my faves (with links below)! Have a beautifully bright Monday!

*Click to view the full image*

L I N K S

1. Distressed Photo Frame
2. Ruffle Pillow
3. Bright Chalkboard
4. Decorative Wall Hooks
5. Tri-Fold Wallet
6. Honey Yellow Ruffle Top (from Windsor)
7. Cute Owl Shea Butter Soap Bar
8. Pear Ear Rings
9. Bird Chain Necklace (this one I actually purchased, so far!)

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