12.30.2011
Tithing & Blessings
Many of you may know that we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or Mormons. My husband and I have both been members all our lives and we are raising our children the same. One of the many "weird" things that Mormons do is pay tithing. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the concept, tithing is the practice of returning a portion of your wealth {usually 10%} back to the spiritual source from whence those blessings come. We believe that everything we have has been given to us by our Heavenly Father {or God} and that by giving a small portion back to Him we show our gratitude and recognize our dependence on Him as the source of all our blessings. Tithing is an ancient spiritual tradition that has been practiced by many of the great civilizations in history. The practice is referenced in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. One of my favorite scriptures referencing tithing is Malachi 3:10, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."
Years ago I read Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnatch, and she talked about tithing as a metaphysical law of prosperity. She said, " Spiritual law, no matter which path, tells us as we give, so shall we receive. We realize that money is a form of energy. Energy does not increase if it is hoarded. Energy must circulate freely for power to be released. When we receive an increase of money in our lives, giving away a portion of that money keeps the channels of abundance circulating freely, as Spirit intended. On a practical level, tithing allows us to express our thanksgiving with action. Returning some of the material good we receive is a tangible demonstration of trust." She goes on to say, " My experience with tithing on the Simple Abundance path has been erratic but amazing. When I tithe, I experience more financial serenity than when I don't. The money seems to stretch further or my expenses diminish. When I tithe I am able to save more with ease, and new moneymaking opportunities arrive, often unsolicited. The floodgates of heaven do shower me with blessings, although I've not yet reached the point at which I can't find room for more. When I don't tithe, I'm not struck down, but I do start to worry about money. There seem to be longer stretches between bank deposits and more unexpected expenses, which always end up costing more than the amount my tithe would have been. So I know it's time to write a check. Wait and watch what happens. Very quickly, the ebb recedes and the flow begins again. Coincidence?"
I've heard stories like that my entire life, and I have always paid tithing even though that has not been my personal experience. I think there's a lot to be said for doing what you feel to be right without needing a personal reward for your actions. Paying tithing has increased my faith exponentially, which is as good a blessing as I could ever hope for. I've mentioned in passing that my husband is out of work right now. It's fine, really. That's what we keep telling ourselves. I mean, except for the no income thing it has been really great having him home. He lost his job on November 19th, without any form of severance pay. So there we were, right before the holidays with no job and no insurance. No way to pay for Christmas and three fantastic kids who were definitely on the nice list and hoping to be rewarded accordingly. {I'm not begging for sympathy here. Just setting the stage...} It was at that point that we were faced with one of the most difficult dilemmas of our adult life. We had Brent's final paycheck. I had paid the bills that were most pressing and had about $800 left over, which was all we had to our name. We knew we still needed to pay tithing on that paycheck. Doing so would take more than half of what we had left, but we felt strongly about it so we turned in a check the following Sunday. We prayed our hearts out and we were prepared for any possible outcome. I mean, who were we to say that losing everything wasn't just the experience we needed right now?! We didn't know, but we were ready to go with the flow, having faith in our Father in Heaven.
Our experiences the past few weeks have been nothing short of miraculous. I get a little teary-eyed just thinking about it. The very next day I started getting orders to make Christmas cards -- almost more than I could handle. I doubled the lifetime sales in my etsy shop in two weeks. Within a week cards started to come in the mail from extended family and friends with checks tucked in them. Everyone said they just felt like they needed to help us out. We were able to pay our mortgage and the rest of our bills. A large box of gifts and some cash were mysteriously left on our doorstep. {Thanks to whoever left it!} We found unbelievable deals on the things our kids wanted for Christmas and had as good a holiday as ever. We have money in our account to pay our mortgage again next week. Truly the windows of heaven have been open the past several weeks and we have been blessed abundantly.
We have discovered that we are far more comfortable being on the giving end of such kindness, but we are learning a tremendous lesson in humility. We feel so very grateful for the friends and family who have helped us in so many ways and we pray that the Lord will repay your kindness a thousand times over. I suppose that's why I needed to write this. So that each of you who helped out will know what a difference you made to us. We thank you for being instruments in the Lord's hands and being the answer to our prayers.
For more information on Mormons and tithing, click here.
12.28.2011
Sicky Sick {A Delicious Home Remedy}
You just eat 1tsp. honey {preferably raw, which is available at most healthy-type stores like Whole Foods} mixed with 1/4 tsp. cinnamon twice a day for three days, beginning at the earliest sign of a cold. The honey and cinnamon are both said to have antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties. I used this remedy back in November with great results. I mixed the honey and cinnamon and spread it on toast, which is delicious, but you can just eat it straight, too. I've read that you shouldn't mix it into hot drinks because the heat kills the positive effects, but I'm no expert here. And I don't drink tea, so ... you know ... {I highly recommend the toast version!!}
I wish it had not escaped my feeble memory this time around. I always figure it can't hurt to try a home remedy for a day or so before rushing to the doctor's office if the symptoms are mild. And cinnamon honey toast is delicious. I may start eating it just because it's tasty and never get sick again. Hope that helps somebody!
12.22.2011
Neighbor Gifts & My Giftwrap "Tradition"
Now for an awkward transition: Brent and I were at a "Fugly Christmas Sweater Party" the other night -- and before I go on with the story I have to show you this:
The line for a piece of that man candy forms behind me, ladies! So, we were at the party and a friend asked me if I was still carrying on my gift-wrapping tradition. I asked if she was referring to my obsessive compulsive need for all my Christmas presents to match. Because that is still very much happening around here. Another friend, who didn't yet know how crazy I can be, requested that I post pictures of this year's wrapping motif here on the blog. Asae, this is for you:
It's not really anything special, but it looks kinda' pretty, I think. I used my 1/4 inch metal stamps to stamp the cardstock tags to make them a little bit unique. We are trying a new thing with our kids' gifts this year -- they are each getting 4 small gifts from me and Brent: something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read. That's why the tags are labeled the way they are, lest you think I've lost my everloving mind. The kids are super excited about it and it was nice to have a focus as we shopped this year. I love to have guidelines. Anyway . . . We're getting really excited about Christmas over here. I hope you are too!
12.16.2011
A Gift for the Kids' Friends
To a DEER Friend
And D gave his reindeer pipe cleaner arms to hold the tags. See? Jiggy. Easy, cheesy. You can't beat friend gifts for 50 cents each! {I'm so excited about this being the last day of school. Hello, sleeping in!}
12.14.2011
A Gift for the Friend and/or Neighbor
Alright, it took me longer than I had hoped to get my act together with this post. I've been seeing cute mason jar soap dispensers all over blogland lately and just desperately wanted some for my house. There are lots of tutorials out there, but this one was my favorite.
I loved the vintage zinc lids so I found some on ebay that were really affordable. I think I got a lot of 12 old lids for about $6, which is worth it to me to get a much cooler finished product. I've also seen people spray paint the lids and rings they have on hand a bright, fun color which is really cute, too, if you don't want to bother tracking down the old zinc lids. Instead of using hot glue to secure the pump in place as the tutorial suggests, I bought a tube of waterproof tub and tile caulk. I LOVE the way they turned out!
And then I thought, "This would make a really cute gift for {some un-named people on my Christmas list}." I mean, I had twelve zinc lids after all. I'm thinking you could just give the cute soap dispenser full of sweet smelling hand soap with a little tag that says, "Wishing you a holiday full of Peace, Joy, &
That would be a cute little addition to your soapy gift as well. I couldn't decide what color I liked so I made several options:
You can download these images by clicking on the image to make it full size then right clicking and saving to your computer. Just print it and pop it in a 5x7 dollar-store frame and you're good to go. I chose the burlap option because it matches my butterfly specimen art that hangs in there, too. I've also made a tag you can use on your soap dispensers. Just download the pdf file below and print onto cardstock.
Peace, Joy & Soap
Happy Holidays everyone!
12.12.2011
Trees for the Kiddos
For the boys I made the stars and then folded a bunch of paper airplanes out of coordinating printed cardstock. I also had some silver and white ball ornaments that I hung up with teal polka-dot ribbon. I love the whimsical vintage-y vibe that it has with the old map paper and polka-dots. It's not super Christmas-y, but it feels festive and fun and my boys LOVE it.
For Sis I wanted to make something really, really girly. She has a sparkly pink tree {I know! Who buys those, right?! I had a vision.} and her bedroom is pink so I just really went for it and smothered the thing in pink and silver ornaments.
I made some more of my favorite stars out of pink and white print papers and hung some silver/white and shiny pink ball ornaments with cute girly ribbon. But the pièce de resistance are these cuppy-cake ornaments inspired by some that I saw on Pinterest a while ago.
Aren't they great?! So that's what I've been up to. That and making a kajillion Years in Review for my fun blog friends. I had no idea people would respond to that so favorably. It has been really fun "getting to know" some of you as I've made your cards. You have no idea what a blessing those little jobs have been for my family since my husband is out of work right now. It's not too late to get one done if you're still considering it. Just leave me a comment with your e-mail and I'll get right back to you. Tomorrow I'll be back with a super easy, inexpensive gift you can give to girlfriends, neighbors and/ or coworkers.
Happy Holidays!
12.07.2011
Yeah, We're Movin' On Uuup -- To the Top!
12.04.2011
Christmas Printables {Freebies!}
I'm leaning toward the very first one, but the last one is really in the running, too. I'm loving turquoise and red this Christmas. Gah! I just don't know which to choose. Maybe I'll just have to get another frame at the dollar store so I can do both. Merry Christmas, friends!

12.03.2011
A Gift for the Golf Afficionado
Back in the spring I remember seeing a series of framed vintage-style prints of famous golfers at Target. Each had a great quote from the featured golfer. They were really cool. They were also overpriced. And no longer available. But it seemed like a fun idea to try and recreate for someone who may or may not have a collection of golf memorabilia.
Here is what I came up with:
That really is a picture of Arnold Palmer. Cool, huh? Costco will print the 8x10 for about $1.50 {I'm sure most places are about the same} or you could spring for a cool canvas print -- Canvas People is my favorite and they often run a free 8x10 special so you only have to pay shipping. Just pop the print into a cool frame and you're all set. I was inclined to embellish the frame a bit, but restrained myself since I think the recipient would prefer the simplicity of a clean black frame. For a total cost of less than $10 you can't really go wrong. And it's the thought that counts, not the price, right? Remember that, dear family. The dollar value of your gifts does not represent your value in our lives and in our hearts.
Thanks for checking in today. Happy Holiday crafting!

11.30.2011
My Holiday Dilemma
Aaaaanyway, surprises are what Christmas is all about. Here's my dilemma this year, and every year since I started my blog, really -- I spent all last week making some really cool stuff for my family for Christmas {so I could hand deliver them in Vegas and save on shipping -- ever being economical} but I can't really share those projects here as I am wont to do because it would ruin the surprise. Aaaak! I've decided to do a completely hand-made Christmas this year. I think about it every year, but usually give in to peer pressure {or laziness} and just buy people the gift cards they ask for. Not this year! My husband losing his job last week may or may not have swayed that decision a bit, but that is neither here nor there. I'm making everything. Santa has my permission to purchase gifts as he sees fit, but as for me it's homemade all the way. Now wouldn't that make for some fun blog posts? Easy, inexpensive gift ideas. It's what I'm looking all over the craft blog world for right now. I'd love to share some of the goodies I'm making. Would it be too rude to ask my family to NOT read my blog for the next few weeks? Or read at your own risk at the very least? I'm fairly certain that, even though I've set my blog as our browser's home page, no one in this house pays it any attention. I could get away with posting some of my secrets here, surely. I'll ponder it while we set up our tree this afternoon. Enjoy the holiday season everyone!!
11.27.2011
How To Install New Fonts on Your Computer
So, if you came for the fonts and stuck around, thanks ever-so much! I'm sure we'll be fast friends. Now, in finally reaching the point of this post, I wish to address a few concerns raised in the comments of that post. First, It was brought to my attention {in the nicest way -- thanks to an Anonymous commenter} that the link to Feel Script was a bootlegged copy of a pretty expensive font. I feel really bad about that. I removed the link in the original post so as to avoid any trouble {in a legal sense}. If you still want the free download it is easy enough to find out there. I'm no evil genius and I got it. Or you can save up the $99 and buy it all legit-like.
Second, it seems several of you would like some info about what to do with the font files after you download them. Often when you buy a font it will come in a file with it's own installer. You just open the file and it magically appears on your computer ready to use. Kind of. When you download a file for free {from a legit free site Ü }you usually have to unzip it and install it yourself. It's not hard, you just have to do it. I'm going to assume you all know how to unzip a zipped file -- on my computer when I double click a zipped file it automatically starts the Microsoft Extraction Wizard and walks me through the process. Since my computer is old and technology seems to be becoming increasingly intuitive, I'm guessing it's even easier for most of you. Just make sure you know where you save the unzipped font file so you can find it again. Good? Good.
On your PC click the Start button in the lower left corner then click on My Computer. Choose the Local Disk {C:}. Find the Windows folder and double click to open it up. Now find the Fonts folder and open that up. Click on File in the upper left corner of the window and click on Install New Font in the drop-down menu.
A new window will open up at this point. In the bottom left corner, find the folder in which you saved the unzipped font file. Click to open it when you find it. When you click on the correct folder, the name of the font file will appear in the "List of Fonts" box in the upper left corner. Make sure the "Copy fonts to Fonts folder" box is checked, then click Select All. When you click OK you should see a status bar pop up to let you know that your font installation has been successful.
You'll have to repeat this process for each new font you want to install. Then, since I've copied the font file into the Fonts folder, I usually go back and delete the original files I downloaded so I don't waste space on duplicate files. I hope that helps some of you to begin using and enjoying your new fonts. If you still have questions feel free to e-mail me or leave a comment.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! My whole family got together for the first time in years in Las Vegas for the holiday. It was awesome staying up late laughing and playing cards with my siblings and parents while my kids ran around with their cousins. We couldn't have asked for a better time. More on that to come . . .
11.17.2011
Can We Talk . . .
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Avocados from Mexico for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
. . . about my love of avocados. I love them on sandwiches and in salads, but my very most favorite thing in almost all the world is guacamole. I could eat chips and guacamole for lunch every single day for the rest of forever and never tire of it. When we go out with our friends for late-night root beer floats {doesn't everybody do that?}, I always order chips and guacamole instead. Our dog loves it, too. She sits nicely right at our feet as we enjoy it, just waiting to be rewarded with some glorious avocado goodness. We usually oblige and share just a bit -- the kids call this ritual "guac-ing the dog". Har, har! We crack ourselves up. Our kids love avocados, too, just maybe not as much as me. We've been putting slices of avocado in their turkey wraps since they were little. I don't think they even realize you can eat turkey wraps without them. Some of you may be gagging at the very thought of eating avocados {ahem, Shiela}, or you may be absolutely convinced that your children would never try them. I may have a way to make you {or your children} reconsider their stance. Read on . . .
Did you know avocados have the vitamins and nutrients essential for child development and growth? Just 3 slices of this creamy green fruit (yup, it’s a fruit!) packs potassium, fiber, folate, vitamin C, E and those B-complex vitamins that support memory and brain function. If they don’t love them already, the Avocados from Mexico Mini Chef Video Contest is a great way to introduce your kids to them!
Starting November 14th, Avocados from Mexico is hosting the Mini Chef Video Contest for parents of children ages 5-15. Submit a 1-3 minute video of your child/children preparing an avocado dish and be sure to have them include why they love avocados and the catchy Avocados from Mexico jingle found on their website. Videos will be judged on the Mini Chef’s personality and the presence of avocado.
One grand prize winner gets $1,000 in cash plus an HD Camcorder (for future home videos!), a Nintendo 3D, 2 games and a personalized Mini Chef jacket. Nine runners up win big too with an HD Camcorder, a Nintendo 3D and a personalized Mini Chef jacket. Tons of great prizes and tons of chances to win – what’s not to love? { Helloooooo . . . Christmas is right around the corner. Who couldn't use an extra thousand dollars right now?!}
Get your video in by December 4th and check back on December 6th to see if your video is one of 10 finalists. Public voting will take place on YouTube December 6-11. The video with the most Likes wins and will be posted on the website December 12th.
Still not convinced that your children will give it a go? Guess what! Avocados are not just for guacamole any more. Do your kids like cupcakes? I found a delicious recipe for Avocado Chocolate Cupcakes with Avocado Buttercream Frosting. Now, before you decide that I have fallen completely off my rocker, hear me out. The avocado in this recipe replaces all the fat -- butter, oil, shortening, all of it! How cool is that?! Replace all the bad-for-you, calorie-laden fats with the healthy fat in avocados? It's brilliant. The recipe is also egg-free and dairy-free , which is not a big issue in our house, but I know it can be for some families. And, not for nothin', they look pretty fancy. The frosting is a naturally beautiful shade of green so you don't need to add food coloring. See what you think:
Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes
from The Pastry Affair
Yields 30 cupcakes
3 cups whole wheat or all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup soft avocado, well mashed, about 1 medium avocado
2 cups water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set that aside.
In a large bowl beat together the sugar, applesauce, and mashed avocado until well blended. Then add water, vinegar, and vanilla and mix well.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet all at once and and beat until smooth.
Pour batter into cupcake tins and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting with avocado buttercream.
Avocado Buttercream Frosting
2 small to medium ripe avocados (8 ounces)
1 pound powdered sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peel and pit the soft avocados, scraping the contents into a medium bowl. If the avocados have brown spots, avoid those when you scoop the meat into the bowl. You want nice and green avocado meat.
Add lemon juice and beat the avocados with a mixer on medium speed until the avocados are slightly lightened in color and smooth in texture, about 2-3 minutes. {I stuck mine in my Magic Bullet to get all the chunks out} The lemon juice prevents the avocados from turning brown so you will have nice green frosting.
Add the powdered sugar a little at a time and beat. Add vanilla extract until combined. Store the frosting in the refrigerator until ready to use.
See how pretty they turned out? {Also, do you love my new cupcake stand I got at Goodwill yesterday?!}
The pictures just don't do that frosting justice.
Look at that moist cake and creamy frosting . . . mmmmmmm. I'll admit, these took a minute to grow on me. I wasn't quite sure what I thought of them after the first bite. There IS a distinct, but subtle, avocado flavor which is different in a dessert, but I kinda' like it. However, if I'm being brutally honest, nine times out of ten when I buy avocados I'm gonna' be making guacamole, because I love it that much. But if guacamole isn't your thing and healthy chocolate cupcakes are . . . these are yummy. Get your kids in the kitchen and film them whipping up an avocado masterpiece. You could end up with fabulous prizes! At the very least you'll have a yummy, healthy snack. I love a win-win!
11.16.2011
Favorite Fonts
Here's a list of my favorite font combinations and a brief tutorial on installing fonts to your computer in case you're hungry for more font goodness.
*EDITED TO ADD: It has been brought to my attention that the links to Feel Script and Artistamp were actually bootlegged copies of expensive fonts. I have removed the links -- sorry.
11.11.2011
A Couple More Holiday Card Options
Scroll down to the next post for a great deal on printing through Livng Social to make custom cards totally affordable. Have a great weekend!!
I'm linking up here:

Holiday Cards
Like I said before, they have plenty of fantastic card designs to choose from, but here are a few that I have been working on today that you could download and use as well.

11.10.2011
Taking a Mulligan
They were just not so cute, in my humble {yet absolutely correct} opinion. Shortly after I took this picture I removed the black polka dot tights from the pumpkins and they spent the season plain. It was kind of nice looking with the white ceramic jars in my creepy apothecary on the coffee table. The nice thing about pumpkins is you can keep them out all the way until you put up Christmas dècor. I love a two-for-one! Then I saw these adorable Vera Bradley print pumpkins from Crafting Rebellion on Under the Table and Dreaming and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. All you have to do is mod-podge pretty patterned paper napkins on to your pumpkins and embellish. They're so simple and pretty.
Mine turned out kinda' girly because I embellished them with satin ribbons, rosettes, and vintage buttons. That's OK. Even though we're in the minority here, girls do exist in this wild household. I chose not to use traditional "fall" or Halloween colors. That's OK, too. Partly because I don't really like those colors and they don't go in my house and partly because it's my project, dang it, and I can do what I want. The LED candles in the mason jars are a left over project from Youth Conference, but I thought they were cute. {The fakey yellow flames don't look so fakey in real life.} I also created this printable last night that I plan to frame and add to the vignette the give it a little more of a Thanksgiving feel:
I was playing with highlights and shadows last night in Gimp and I liked how it came out looking like embossed painted tin or something. As always, feel free to download it if you want it by clicking the image to make it full size then right clicking and saving it to your computer. Now I need to track down the fifth pumpkin that belongs in this set. Funny how inanimate objects "walk off" like that when you have boy children . . .
I'm linking up here:

11.08.2011
Yee Haw!
11.02.2011
The Worst Mom Ever
She ran into another Luna at the party so they got their pictures taken together. Cute, huh? Mine's the one in the pink glasses. She put that costume together all by herself. I'm so proud. *sniff, sniff*
Riley was an iPod Touch and our friend Chris took this picture of him with our other friend Tammy's camera at Trunk-or-Treat:
Where would I be without Chris and Tammy? Now I just have to make D dress up again tomorrow and no one needs to know that I'm a loser mom. Or else you could just pretend he is in this video, because that's what he dressed up as -- a Jabbawockee. In fact, yeah, I think that IS him there on the left. Second from the end. Don't look too close.
Hope you all had a great day!