BlessedBe's

Here's What I've Been Working On Instead of Posting!

2011-08-08T15:30:00.001-04:00

I have been working furiously getting prepped for the fall/winter craft show season. My first show is in September and it is almost here!
I will have my scripture pendants.

I have been working on salvation bracelets. The crystals are a larger size than I have used in the past. I love the chunky look!

Since I had so much fun making my mom's pin cushion, I made a few more!

I have also made some headbands for infants. My SIL commissioned me to make some for her friend(which I forgot to photograph), and I loved making them! I will have more at my shows.

The last thing I have to show is a photo pendant I made. Another friend asked if I could make some for Christmas presents for her and here is my prototype!

Birthday Gifts for Mamaw

2011-07-27T15:24:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow is my mom's birthday, so we have been busy making gifts in the Mayer house!

Peyton shares my mom's love of comics and superheroes, so he made her Spiderman/Captain America coasters.

He decorated the paper and I helped him adhere them to the ceramic tiles with Modge Podge and an acrylic sealant. I would recommend using permanent markers on your pictures, because Peyton used water-based markers and the colors bled a little.

Daulton made her a bookmark using felt and glue. He really worked hard cutting out those little letters.

I have been wanting to try my project for a long time, but never got around to the Goodwill store for the tea cups...a Tea Cup Pin Cushion!

I used a scrap of black fabric, some bead trim, poly-fill and a glue gun to make this little cutie.

And what is a fancy pin cushion without some special pins!

Happy Birthday Mamaw!

Linking to:

And the winner is...

2011-07-25T00:12:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Shayna!

Mountain-Top Moments

2011-07-24T23:56:00.000-04:00

Today in my Sunday school class we were talking about things we can do to build ourselves up spiritually. One of my classmates brought up the idea of mountain-top moments...those spiritual high points. Over the past several years I have had mountain-top moments, times when I really feel the Holy Spirit. When I feel goose bumps and just surrender to God. Just last month I had 2! First, my family went with our church youth group to the Ichthus Music festival in Wilmore, KY. We spent 3 days listening to Christian music. Talk about a spiritual high! Imagine thousands of people rocking out to Skillet and the next evening celebrating the Lord's supper and worshipping with Chris Tomlin.

Then, several weeks ago, I was able to chaperone our youth group trip to MFuge in Charleston, SC. We spent a week in Bible study, serving the communities of North Charleston, and worshipping God!

Well, now I am back home, back to normal and I miss those mountain-top moments. I have been talking to God about this a lot. How can I bring these mountain-top moments back to my church? I fear that there are many people in my church that have never had a mountain-top moment and they don't know what they are missing. I want us to worship with enthusiasm, with joy! I want a mountain-top moment every Sunday...everyday!

Tomorrow, we are starting our vacation Bible school. I pray that we ignite a fire in our church! I pray that I make God my focus, that I work everyday to have a mountain-top moment.

T-shirt Bracelets

2011-07-23T22:09:00.000-04:00

I have been doing too much blog surfing and too little working over the past week! Finally, last night I had the ambition to make something...these adorable t-shirt bracelets inspired by Haute to Sew!

First, grab some old t-shirts in the colors you want to make.

Cut 1 to 1 1/2 inch wide strips from the shirt. I cut across the width of my shirts. Then STRETCH the strips until they look like this:

I debated whether to braid three strands or double them up for a wider bracelet. I couldn't decide, so I made both kinds! Next, glue or sew the ends of the strands together. I sewed my first bracelet, but soon resorted to my trusty glue gun to do the rest! I clipped the end of the bracelet to my clip board and braided about 7 inches...just measure your wrist and braid the desired length.

After the bracelet is the length you want, stitch or glue the end, attach both ends and take a small piece of fabric to cover the rough edges.

Here are the ones that I did...so far! They are really fun and easy to make! The single strand ones:

And the thicker, double strand ones:

My First Giveaway!

2011-07-21T11:11:00.001-04:00

Enter my very first ever giveaway! I am sponsoring the giveaway with my newest addition to my etsy shop,
a custom made mini rectangle scripture pendant.

Check out Blessed Be's Christian Gifts to see available colors and scripture info.

You can enter several ways:

1. Go to my etsy shop and comment here about your favorite item.

2. "Favorite" my etsy shop and comment back here.

3. "Like" my Facebook fan page and comment back here.

4. Become a "follower" of my blog and comment back here.

You have until Sunday evening at 12pm to enter. The winner will be announced on Monday, July 25!

Linking up at:

Another Lampshade...Last One, I Promise!

2011-07-15T11:16:00.002-04:00

Yes, it is another lampshade! I'm just too proud of it to not share.

This shade is the partner to the shade I shared in this post. It was gross to say the least, so I ripped that sucker up, covered it with black fabric, added trim to the top and bottom, and finished it with a bow.

I almost forgot to mention the lamp base! Of course, I forgot to take a before picture, but it used to look alot like this one.

Very 1990's. I used a shiny aluminum spray paint to bring it back to life! Here it is again.

Linking to:

Zebra Lampshade

2011-07-14T14:47:00.002-04:00

I have been on a lampshade kick lately. I needed this one for a lamp in our family room.

I had already covered it once using gold fabric, but it didn't go with the new color scheme. When I covered it the first time, I put out my fabric and carefully rolled the shade over it, tracing the top and bottom as I went along. After cutting and trimming, I had the shape of the frame. I am not going to lie...covering this shape of frame can be a pain in the butt!

I grabbed my hot glue gun and attached the fabric around the frame. To finish the edges, I glued down some black ribbon. Then, I added a few rosettes that I had made previously. It looks so cute!!

Linking up to:

Family Room Entryway

2011-07-11T20:00:00.003-04:00

Since our family room used to be the garage, we have lost our outdoor entrance to our laundry/mudroom. I have been struggling with the entryway for 4 years now, and finally, I have a solution I like (my only other wish would be tile or hardwood floor...what was I thinking with carpet?!).
The boys are always putting their shoes on last minute, as we walk out the door, so a bench made sense. My grandpa made this bench years ago and I claimed it from my mom. It was originally a cheap oak, but in my wisdom I painted it. First white, then bronze, then white again...well off-white. I attempted to antique it, but it just looked awful. See?

I just happened to have some black spray paint, so I decided to change the color yet again. I covered this old couch pillow I had with zebra fabric to add to it.

It looks better already! Now for the walls. My boys also have this bad habit of throwing jackets and backpacks on the floor as soon as they enter the house, so I knew I needed a coat hook of some kind. I had these old barn wood frames that my dad had made that I absolutely love, but didn't know what to do with them. I placed hooks on one and used some extra zebra fabric to jazz up the other.

Now I love my newly redone entryway. It makes me smile :).

Notice the wicker basket with balls...again, those boys...

Linking up to :

2011-07-08T08:59:00.000-04:00

After returning from church camp, I found out that all the USB ports on my laptop are fried...so I can't upload pics until I get my new computer on Monday! So, here are some awesome projects I have come across that I really want to try...if only I had the time!

Herb Garden Markers from Wit and Whistle. I think these would make a great gift with some seeds and terracotta pots.

Ribbon Scraps Lighted Garland from Whitney Caroline Designs. Adorable for Christmas, but I think it would be cute in my craft room too!

Bracelets from Soda Pop Design. None of the instructions are in English, but the pictures are great!

Lamp Shade Redo from Show and Tell. The unfinished edges are my favorite!

Antiqued Silver Chair from Frou-FruGal. This chair looks AMAZING! I am so jealous! Ok, now what can I paint?:)

Flower Curtain Tie Backs from A Very Dandoislion Life. I have been thinking about curtain tie backs and these are so lovely.

Also, check out my giveaway on my friend Sarah's awesome blog This Crazy Blessed Life.

Now it's time to get off the computer and get to work!

Hand Cut Silhouettes

2011-06-21T23:19:00.003-04:00

Framed silhouettes make for fun, yet elegant decor. I don't have a fancy die cut machine for my computer, so I thought that I couldn't make silhouettes of my kids. Then I had an idea! First I took profile pictures of my boys. Then I blew their images up as large as I could to fit on an 8x10 page. After I printed their pictures I cut around their side profiles very carefully. (Of course, they both have goofy expressions!)

Then I traced the profiles on black card stock and cut those out. Voila...silhouettes! I matted them on white 8x10 card stock and framed them in inexpensive black frames. Peyton looks very serious, but Daulton has such a devilish grin!

I love them on a small corner of my kitchen wall.

Linking to:

The Girl Creative

Today's Creative Blog

New Old Lampshade

2011-06-20T22:35:00.000-04:00

I snagged this lampshade from my mom's basement, but it was in need of some updating. The shade itself was in good shape, but it had yellowed over the years and it was just really boring.

I found some ivory cotton fabric, cut from it about 100 three inch circles and glued them around the shade, overlapping the circles to cover the entire piece.

I finished the edges by folding half circles under the shade and gluing them down. The shade is much more interesting now...don't you think?

Summer Theme Wall Art

2011-06-13T20:32:00.004-04:00

My family room is my latest big project and is taking way too long. I kept changing my mind about furniture arrangements and accent colors, but Saturday I finally decided to go with turquoise and yellow, black and silver, like much of my house. I have been working on some decorative accents and saw an awesome wall art idea with sea shells and silver spray paint. For the life of me I can't remember where I saw the idea, so if it's yours please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due:).
First I spray painted some sea shells we collected on our trip to Charleston, SC last year.

Then I cut out and framed blue and white paper to resemble the ocean.

Lastly, I arranged the shells in columns and rows and hot glued them to the glass.

Inexpensive, quick, lovely wall art!

Linked to:
Skip to My Lou
Today's Creative Blog
Under The Table and Dreaming

Fabric Flower Centerpiece

2011-06-11T09:30:00.003-04:00

I love those organza flowers you see all over and I LOVE the color turquoise, so when I can combine both into one project, I am pretty happy! I made this centerpiece for my kitchen table a while back, but it is still one of my favorite projects ever. Of course, it took me forever to make the many petals and flowers.

After I made about 30 flowers and sewed pearl beads onto the centers, I glued them on an old Chuck E Cheese basketball that we had laying around. I didn't have to cover the bottom of the ball with flowers because it sits on a vase. I inherited the vintage cut-glass vase from my grandma and I think it looks beautiful with these flowers.

Linked up to:

Tatertots and Jello

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Yard Sale Find

2011-06-09T10:21:00.005-04:00

I usually don't have good luck at yard sales, because I'm a late shopper. I work until noon on Saturdays and, by then, all the good stuff is gone. I did make it to a sale on my way to work once, and I am so glad I did! Of course I forgot to take a before picture, but close your eyes and get a mental picture: a white wicker chair, with faded navy blue cushions. Now open your eyes and behold the after!

The first thing I did was paint the chair black with a glossy spray paint. The cushions were in good shape besides the sun-bleached fabric, so I made slipcovers to match my decor. The seat cushion is a pale yellow and the back pillow is an awesome black, white, and gray outdoor fabric. I love that pattern!

I put my finished chair in my little sun-nook in my kitchen. I curl up with a cup of coffee and my Bible in the morning...what a way to start the day!

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Living Room Mantle

2011-06-07T10:51:00.001-04:00

Our gas fireplace is HUGE! It sticks out into the room, so it has the potential to be a sore thumb...and it was until I mustered up the courage to paint it black! All of the woodwork in our house is in the oak family and painting real wood used to terrify me...like it was sacrilegious or something! However, painting my fireplace and mantle was one of the best decorating decisions ever.

My favorite project on my mantle is the gray "m" art and sweater sleeve vase. The gray material was up-cycled from an old gray sweater that I never wore anymore. I cut the sleeve off and put it over a cheap glass vase and stretched the back fabric over a piece of plywood. For the "m" I made rosettes from some scrap black fabric that I had.

Check out the vignette on the side of my mantle. I took the glass out of a silver frame and filled it with yellow fabric leftover from an upholstery project. Then I made a large flower out of ruffled strips of denim and glued it to the fabric. I love mason jars, so I filled this one with shells and sand dollars collected on our beach vacation last year. The little nest was inspired by my cousin's etsy shop GracieLuv. My nest is no where near as cute as hers are, but I still love it.

Linking to

Today's Creative Blog

Backyard Patio and Fire Pit

2011-06-04T22:03:00.015-04:00

Since my boys had outgrown their old metal swing set, we decided to pull it out and build a patio. Well...I decided and recruited my husband. The swing set came out easy, but digging the yard up for the patio and fire pit was quite a job. My awesome hubby did most of the heavy digging, then we leveled the soil and edged the area with rock.

For the fire pit, we dug deeper and put down concrete blocks. Then we used more rock to outline the fire pit. Lastly, we filled the entire patio with pea gravel. The only cost we had with this project was the pea gravel, as the rock was collected from a roadside near our house.

Linking to:
Under the Table and Dreaming
Craftomaniac
The Girl Creative

My New Craft Room

2011-06-04T09:29:00.016-04:00

I am forever changing things in my house. My husband teases me that everyday he comes home from work, something is different! That is so not true...at least not everyday!
One of my latest re-do's was my crafting space. For several years I worked out of our family room, but I was never truly satisfied with my crafting area. It took up alot of my kids play space and never had the look I wanted.I have 2 kids and live in a 3 bedroom house, so really I was lucky to have any crafting space at all! Well....about 6 months ago my boys decided that they wanted bunk beds. In order to do this they would have to share a bedroom...right? So that would free up a bedroom for a craft room ;). Check it out!Now I have a work table and a separate sewing station. My work table is a sofa table from my mom that I spray painted black. For the sewing station, I re purposed an oak laminate computer desk. All it needed was some primer and white paint.
I inherited the chairs from my grandmother. They belong to a patio set. The other 4 chairs and the table are on my back porch. I wasn't too fond of the original pea green color, so a little spray paint transformed the heavy metal frames and an outdoor zebra fabric jazzed up the once green floral cushions.
I have alot of craft stuff, but I don't want to look at it all the time. These boxes are PERFECT for hiding all my supplies. I work in an office, so I was able to claim all of these empty envelope boxes. The heavy cardboard makes them very sturdy. A roll of wrapping paper from Hobby Lobby and viola...lovely storage boxes!I make pendants and other jewelry, so I always have chains laying around. I needed a place to hang supplies and works in progress, so I added cork sheets to these old picture frames for an inexpensive solution. I used the pegboard from my old craft area. I just painted it black.
I need to add some wall art and accessories for the room to really be done, but I have a good start and love my new work room!

Craft Hope Ladies Night

2011-06-03T09:51:00.038-04:00

1Peter 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

My friend, Sarah of This Crazy Blessed Life suggested that the "young" crafty ladies of our church use our collective talents to serve. She introduced us to Craft Hope and their awesome mission "to share handmade crafts with those who need them.". Friday night we gathered at my house for Project 12: Orphan Outreach. Our goal: to make bracelets for orphaned children in St. Petersburg, Russia. Over snacks and conversation we made 53 bracelets!

I pray that the bracelets are a blessing to every child who receives one. May they feel God's love through us.

Salvation Bracelet Tutorial

2009-09-23T22:03:00.001-04:00

This is my first year as Awana commander at my church so I had to try Salvation Bracelets with the kids. Boys and girls love crafts and they love beads, so the project was a big hit, but it also delivered a wonderful message: each bead color reminds us of a Biblical truth.

You need only a few supplies to get started: cording (we used waxed cotton cord) and 6 beads, one each in black, red, white, blue, green, and gold (we used pony beads). Each child will need about 6 inches of cord, long enough to make several knots and fit around their wrist.

Make one knot several inches into the cord; this knot will prevent your beads from sliding off. As you string the beads read the following Bible verses:

1. Black= sin, Romans 3:23

2. Red= Christ's blood, Romans 5: 8-9

3. White= repent and be cleansed, Psalm 51: 1-2

4. Blue= baptism, Ephesians 4:5

5. Green= growth in our faith, Colossians 1:10

6. Yellow or Gold= eternal life in Heaven, John 3:16

After the yellow bead, knot again to hold beads in place. Then knot to fit wrist. You can use a longer piece of cord and make the bracelet adjustable. Since we had alot of kids, we just chose to knot and secure them with a dab of superglue instead of making them adjustable.

Our Job as Parents

2009-09-22T10:37:00.000-04:00

Last night, we all went to Family Dinner and Game Night at Daulton and Peyton's school. It was a potluck dinner to encourage families to sit down together and have dinner, have meaningful conversation, and just spend time together. The counselor sited statistics like "children that have family dinners are less likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol, and more likely to do well in school.". What about families that pray together? I noticed at this dinner alot of people from my church or people that I know who attend other churches. Do you think there is a connection between Christian parenting and school success? I do. I've often heard in jest that folks wish kids came with an instruction manual...but they do! It's called the Bible! God gives us clear directions for raising our children. Now its up to us to follow the directions!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Deuteronomy 6: 5-7

Business Cards into Bookmarks

2009-09-19T22:37:00.000-04:00

I've written about Vistaprint before, but I just had to share this great idea for a cute, inexpensive promo idea for your business...bookmarks! I designed business cards on Vista, but, shifted the layout to 3 1/2" x 2" vertical. I included my business name, website and a favorite Bible verse, since I sell Christian jewelry.

Then I punched a hole in the top-center of the card and added some matching ribbons.

Viola! Now I have Bible bookmarks to pass out to friends, display at craft shows and include in my online orders.

Let's Get Ready for Halloween!

2009-09-17T12:57:00.000-04:00

I love Halloween! It comes in a close second after Christmas for my favorite holiday. What do I love about it - the crisp weather, spooky decorations, running around the neighborhood after dark...it all makes me feel like a kid again!

Most of you know about etsy.com, but Artfire is another awesome handmade marketplace. Check out these cool Halloween items I found:
Green Fuzzy Monster Bag by PandaWithCookie

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=371523

Coffin Pendant by Night Owl Jewelry

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=385216

Frankenstein Shirt by AshlisArmoire

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=350813

Bloody Choker by Tiana

This is my favorite...so creepy!
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=398699

The Doctor Will See You Now

2009-09-02T08:55:00.000-04:00

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance."

Luke 5: 30-31

Jesus is the ultimate champion for the underdog! He doesn't want us to surround ourselves with the righteous (really the self-righteous, because we all have sin). He wants us to court the sinners and bring them to Him. He wants us, in all of our wickedness, to accept the Holy Spirit into our hearts. So do not turn your back on the addicts, the thieves, the adulterers. Welcome them, love them, bring them to Jesus. We cannot overcome sin without Christ, and they can't either.

M.I.A.

2009-08-30T07:52:00.000-04:00

Wow! It's been a while since I've posted anything here, but things have been just crazy in the Mayer house! Between back to school and Ryle craft show prep I haven't had much free time. I did want to share our new family pictures, though. My super-talented sister-in-law Amy is a professional photographer and does an awesome job. Check out her blog at http://capturedmomentsbyamyleigh.blogspot.com/. She also does custom invitations, so look for her on etsy at http://www.capturedmomentsbyamy.etsy.com/. As you can see, we had a great photo shoot!

Setting an Example

2009-07-23T15:18:00.000-04:00

No matter how hard I try to stop it, my sons are growing up. Now I know they are only 7 and 4, but I worry about the pressures they will soon face to join the greater non-Christian culture. Society's call to fit in usually requires some unsavory behaviors, like promiscuity, drug use and profanity. I was a teenager once, and I made some bad choices...I did many things that I would never do now that Christ is guiding my life. I pray that my boys will not turn down the wide path of sin that fills our culture today, but that they will take the less travelled, narrow path with Christ.

1Timothy 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.

Programming Brought to You by Etsy...

2009-07-16T21:59:00.000-04:00

Anyone who has kids knows how your TV viewing habits evolve from being parent's choice to kids' rule! If a grown-up show is on before 10pm, I don't usually get to see it. My days are filled with song-and-dance and animation. Thankfully, there are some shows that my kids love that I like too. Check out these awesome etsy finds inspired by our family TV favorites...

What cartoon has been on since the 1960's and can still capture the imaginations of kids of all ages?! Like, it's Scooby Doo, man! Jinkies, check out these ribbon figures from lilladybows.etsy.com.

I have 2 boys and they are all about the rough play, so, naturally, they love Jack Black in "Nacho Libre". "Beneath the clothes, we find a man... and beneath the man, we find his... nucleus." And this cool pillow from sewsewsuckurtoe.etsy.com.

Sing with me..."Oh.... who lives in a pineapple under the sea?". A Spongebob jumper with ruffle pants from cocolokaboutique.etsy.com.

Did it Hit Too Close to Home?

2009-07-10T08:47:00.000-04:00

I received an email yesterday from a friend that discussed an opening prayer at a session of the Kansas House of Representatives. Well, it was a cool message, but I had to find out if it was true...I'm sure all of you have received some far-fetched emails before! I checked it out with snopes.com and it was true, so here's the story:

"Thought you might enjoy this interesting prayer given in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate. It seems prayer still upsets some people. When the guest Minister was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting
the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:

Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!

The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India , Africa and Korea . Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,'and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired."

What a cool story...critics of the prayer possibly felt it hit too close to home...maybe they didn't want to offend their constituents in this politically correct world. We should all be offended, however, at the state of this nation and the "anything goes" attitude of the greater culture! Snopes did mention that the author of this prayer was not Reverend Wright, but Bob Russell, who delivered his version at the Kentucky Governor's Prayer Breakfast in Frankfort in 1995. It's awesome that this powerful message originated right in my home state.

Who Doesn't Love the Dollar Store?!

2009-07-08T19:02:00.001-04:00

If you are a crafter and you are anything like me, a trip to Hobby Lobby can result in spending WAY TOO MUCH! And if you are like me, one trip every few weeks is just not enough...I have to go weekly and I might as well stop by Joann's and Michael's while I'm at it! So anytime I can find cheap craft supplies I go crazy. Last night while I was "blog hopping" I found....drumroll please...
http://dollarstorecrafts.com/
...craft tutorials using products found at the dollar store!!! Some of my favorites include...

fancy hair combs

placemat handbag

picture frame jewelry display

and the cutest little Cape made from a cheap fleece blanket.

You have to check out this fun site!!

I Feel So Small

2009-07-08T15:12:00.000-04:00

Last night at 11:06pm, I watched the International Space Station fly over my house. Now, had I not been looking for the ISS, I probably would've thought it was some kind of jet. It really just looked like a very bright speck flying across the night sky, but seeing it made me feel very small and humbled. After watching it I prayed, praising God for his awesome creation and the great intelligence he gave man to be able to explore his handiwork. Anyone who does not believe in God's power should just take a look around them...He created it all.

1Chronicles 29:11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.

For those who want to see when the ISS will pass through your neighborhood check out

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/skywatch.cgi?country=United+States

It is only visible for a few more weeks.

Uniformity

2009-07-06T19:43:00.000-04:00

Lately, I've been gearing up for the fall craft show circuit. I have only attended one craft show as a seller and it was a very disappointing venture. A small number of sellers and even fewer buyers...my only sale came from my mom! Well, I have a new product, so I thought I would give it a go. I needed some marketing products and I discovered Vista Print. Vistaprint.com is just awesome. They have a ton of free templates. You can get anything personalized for your business...from business cards to pens to t-shirts to yard signs. Here's the best part...many of these items are FREE!! All you pay is shipping! Everything else is really cheap. Look at what I got...a banner, labels, and business cards...and they all match!!

Now I'll look like a pro at those craft shows!

The Good Test

2009-06-29T21:53:00.000-04:00

What would you say if I asked you if you thought you were going to heaven? You'd probably say "Yes". What would you say if I asked why? Your answer would probably sound something like this, "Because I'm a good person". You might say, "I've never killed anyone or robbed a bank. I've basically been good." Oh really? Let's take the "Good Test" and see how we measure up.

Q: Have you ever told a lie?
A: Yes.

So that would make you a liar.

Q: Have you ever taken something that wasn't yours?
A: Yes.

So that would make you a lying thief.

Q: Have you ever said God or Jesus in a curse word?
A: Yes.

So that would make you a lying, thieving blasphemer.

Q: Have you ever wanted something someone else had?
A: Yes.

So that would make you a lying, thieving, blaspheming coveter.

Q: Have you ever had impure thoughts about a man or woman?
A: Yes.

So that would make you a lying, thieving, blaspheming, coveting adulterer.

I can continue, but I think you get the point. We are all sinners...all of us. The only person to ever NOT sin was Jesus. Thankfully, there is hope. Romans 3:23-25 says For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement... Jesus paid the price, so we can live with Him for eternity...all you have to do is BELIEVE! Really believe with all your heart and you will be transformed...I was.

2009-06-28T08:10:00.000-04:00

I just bought some cool digital images on etsy and have worked them into my new "In the Beginning Collection". I should have them in my shop in a few days.

Ichthus 2009

2009-06-28T08:06:00.000-04:00

On June 11, 2009, my husband, Butch, and I made our first trip to the Ichthus Music Festival in Wilmore, KY. Ichthus was started in 1969, as a Christian alternative to Woodstock, so this year was the 40 anniversary of the festival. We went with our church youth leaders and 8 high school kids. I was very nervous, because I had never camped before...I'm a country girl and love the outdoors, but I also love air conditioning and a clean bed! I had been warned by past attendees that Ichthus is famous for rain, mud and even tornadoes, so I was getting worried when I woke up Thursay morning and it was raining at my house. As it turns out, it was raining in Wilmore too! Our mini van got stuck in the mud trying to get to our campsite and the rain continued to come down. By Thursday night, though, the rain cleared out and it turned out to be a great weekend! It was an awesome experience to hear moving speakers and rockin' Christian music. During the Saturday evening worship, 10,000 people took the Lord's Supper...imagine that...10,000 people! That same night almost 1000 people, mostly teenagers, gave their lives to Christ!
It was so fun (except for the Porto-potties)...I can't wait to go next year!

Here are some of the artists we saw...they put on awesome shows!
Skillet - http://www.skillet.com/enter.php
Kutless - http://www.kutless.com/
Family Force 5 - http://www.myspace.com/familyforce5
Fireflight - http://www.fireflightrock.com/

Blogs I Love Part 1

2009-04-18T09:56:00.000-04:00

http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/ For beautiful papercraft ideas, check out Nichole Heady's blog. She and the other girls from Papertrey Ink make beautiful paper creations and include templates and instructions for a lot of them. The boys and I made these paper beads and they were super-cool!

http://www.cakewrecks.blogspot.com/
I am no pastry chef...far from it, but some of the cakes that people not only make, but try to sell...WOW! Some of the cakes on this blog are works of art, while most are, well, wrecks. I think this is supposed to be an Easter bunny.

http://www.bakerella.blogspot.com
Have you ever had cakeballs? I had never heard of them until a friend introduced me to these little pieces of heaven on earth. What you do is make a cake according to the box (who makes homeade cakes anymore!?), wait until it cools, and then mush it all up in a big bowl. After the cake is destroyed, add a can of frosting and stir it all up. I used my hands and then I licked off the cake/icing mixture...AWESOME!!! (BY this time, my six year old son Daulton was so "disgusted" by my behavior that he had to leave the kitchen!) Chill the mixture and roll it into balls. Then dip the balls into melted white chocolate. Bakerella makes hers into beautiful cupcake pops. Mine were not pretty at all, but, boy, they sure taste awesome!

To blog or not to blog?

2009-04-17T14:41:00.000-04:00

Well, here I am with a blog. Never in my life have a been much for journaling or diary keeping. I remember getting cute little diaries as a kid, starting to journal with great dedication, only to stuff the thing in a desk drawer after 2 or 3 days! I was thinking to myself "What do my favorite blogs have?" and I had a moment of clarity...PICTURES! It's all about the pictures.

So, what better way to share my favorite cool things than on a blog!

First thing's first. Etsy is awesome. If you've never been on etsy.com, you must go there now. Check out my shop at blessedbe13.etsy.com.