Note Center

I needed to make something where I could hang up important papers in plain view (so we could see them and daily be reminded of them) that would look cute and be out of the way. I didn't have very much sitting around the house, but this is what I came up with.

I took a piece of fabric I had left over (it is a heavy denim material) and sewed bobby pins every 6 inches. Then I tacked it in place over our mirror so it would be easy to spot the notes, papers, and things  we needed in plain view and easy access.  

I bet this would also work with a piece of sheet foam or decorative card stock and mini clothes pins.  

Something out of Nothing

It ended up being just me and the puppy home tonight. So after Zumba I searched the refrigerator and cupboards and found some ground beef, a half bag of corn chips, and some american cheese. Most people would say "there is nothing to eat", but I disagree. Here is what I concocted. 

Yum!

 I didn't have any taco seasoning so I used what I had in the cupboard. Salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and oregano. I started by sautéing a quarter onion and clove of garlic in olive oil. Then I added the ground beef and seasoning to taste. 

While the ground beef was cooking I sliced up some slices of american cheese.

Then I put it all together and...

 Delicious!

Now lets see if there is any left for the husband when he gets home from work.

Shake the Jar

When my husband and I got married we did a unity sand jar. 

It started with the pastor pouring white sand in the bottom of the jar to represent God as our foundation, then we each poured some sand of our respective colors in to represent our individual lives, and last we all three poured in the rest of our sand at the same time finishing the layers. It was a unique way of showing our unity with each other and God to those attending our ceremony, and then it could sit in our house and remind us the rest of our lives of that moment. After the ceremony we poured hot wax to seal the top of the jar so the sand would not spill out. The next day as we were gathering together all of our things from the wedding, we noticed that the jar had tipped over in the car on the way home. Now what was once three distinct colors of sand, was throughly and evenly mixed together and could no longer be defined as three separate colors. They were so integrated they could never again be separated or individual. 

It was beautiful.

A perfect example of what our life now is. 

No longer two separate lives, one life combined with God as our glue and foundation. 

So if you have a sand jar, next time you are frustrated or going through a rough time with your spouse. Go grab that glass jar and shake it up. Reminding yourselves that you are one in the deepest way and nothing can now separate what God has brought together. 

Abintra Designs - Projects for Gifts

I must admit that Abintra Designs has still not done anything to get back up and running since I moved to Fort Worth, but this week I did do a few projects for personal gifts. Our friends are expecting their first child here within the next month and mom LOVES bows and head bands. So I took my first shot at yo-yo's. They were SO much easier than I expected and way too cute. 

(as you can see I even added a few to embellish the front of the bag as a last minute touch) 

Then another one of my friends had a birthday this week and I made her a quaint little wallet. 

I think my favorite part of that one was the vintage charm. 

So, it is something to keep my creative juices flowing in the meantime :)

Me Time

Just because I work 40+ hours a week in a restaurant setting with my hair pulled back in a greasy pony tail wearing oversized uniform and comfy - yet ugly - tennis shoes does not mean that I don't still like to look nice the other 128 hrs. 

Tonight while my husband was at work I had some much needed pamper time. I filled the bath halfway with water as hot as I could stand and a few tablespoons of ground ginger. The ginger bath is supposed to help your body release toxins. I did not use as much ginger as recommended  but I also am not sick or needing to sweat THAT much over the next few hours. While I soaked I made a mask for my face out of oatmeal and milk. I put just enough milk to sog up the oats. Its clumpy, so make sure you are laying down before you try to apply. I noticed that my face had life in it again. The skin is plump and moist. (now if only the blackheads will run away) 

Now I sit with my glass of cold water and watch the "Saving Grace" TV series. 

Cheers to Me Time!

Writing

I have known for many years that I want to write a book of some sort. Over the years I have journaled extensively in seasons, but none of it has even come together in one place or thought. Until now.

When I lived in Van Horn, TX this past summer I began to write in a journal almost everyday for a few weeks. The subject was something I had learned from a teaching out of 1 Kings 17:7. Last week I picked up the journal and starting reading it. I was cut through the heart. I felt like I was reading something someone else had written, and it was what I needed to apply to my life right now.
So I started typing. Transferring the journal onto my computer. With that, also came more journaling.

So right now I am in the middle of piecing together a short book. I'm not sure if it is going to be finished all at once, or if this is just the beginning and the rest will come down the road. But here it goes!

Extremely Unique, Kinda Cute, FREE Anniversary Gift

Wow time flies, it has already been over a year since me and my hubby tied the knot.

I wanted to do something thoughtful and creative for my husband for our First Wedding Anniversary. I didn't want to let the fact that we have no money or permanent place to live get in the way (no place of our own kinds cuts out homemade candlelight dinner, etc). I started to look up places near where we will be living that could be potentially good date nights (he lived there already, but I would be moving right before our Anniversary). 

A coupon booklet of dates seemed a little...3rd grade Father's Day gift, so I thought I would make him a website instead.

I used Wix.com, it is free to have an account and you can make several websites per account (I use it for Abintra Designs as well). I started with a template design and then made it my own. 

(Home page of "Date Night" website)

I added a picture of us as the background, and a song I wrote him for our wedding as the music to play when you visit the site. (Wix lets you use songs from Sound Cloud *also free to join and upload songs)

The second page of the site was for "Favorite Memories". Here I wrote some of my favorite memories with my husband over the last two years (we dated for exactly one year before we got married) and put some of my favorite pictures on that page. 

(Favorite Memories page)

The next page was "Terms and Conditions", these were the conditions of the future dates such as: I had to be present, they had to be used between August 2012 and August 2013, we had to have fun, I couldn't refuse to go on a date from the list, etc. 

On this page I also put a picture that I created on Tagxedo . 

I took the words from my Wedding Vows to my husband and put them into a "heart" outline.

("Terms & Conditions" page)

The next page of the site is "Future Dates".  It is a picture gallery that is full of local, fun places that we can go on dates to. After looking up specific places I thought were interesting or I knew were his favorite, I put a picture of that place/logo into the gallery. When you add pictures to a gallery wix gives you the ability to name the picture, give a description, and even add a link. This was perfect for what I wanted to do. I put the name of the place, then under "description" I wrote briefly what the date would be like,  then added the link to any place that had a website. (I added about 27 "dates" to the gallery) 

Now he can scroll through the "date gallery" and see a picture and brief description. When he clicks on the link he can find out more about the place, times of special events, and directions.

("Future Dates" page)

(When you click on a date it appears like this. Showing the description and link) 

The last page was "Bonus Material".
On this page I had a button to a link that went to a photobucket album of pictures for him.
Also there was also a video ( add>media>video and using YouTube) that was a slideshow of pictures of us from way back when we met at summer camp as teenagers through to the present.

Last but not least, a link to a photo book: "10 Things I Love About You". Mixbook is an awesome website that I created a few photo albums on (I have still YET to get my wedding album printed). You can create and account and albums/books for free (it only costs money when you want them printed) then link it to places (like FB, Blog, or a Anniversary Website). When you are finished making your album/book you "publish" it. (make sure when you are saving the settings that it is set to public view so he doesnt have to create and account or log in to see it)

("Bonus Material" page)

It was a success! He loved the thought and effort put into it.
I ended up working on our Anniversary, but the day after we went and did some things that represented past favorite dates, and some of the ideas I had put into the gallery.