etc.

December Memory Verse

December 8, 2012

This really is the most wonderful time of year. I am feeling very overwhelmed by God’s love for us. I hope this Season is one of Joy and Peace for you, and that you aren’t frazzled by all the STUFF that HAS to be done. I’m trying to keep it simple. Today I’m doing a little Christmas baking, not because I have to, but because I want to.  
When I was a kid, we all learned and recited the Christmas story for Luke 2:1-20. My mom always had great actions and dorky arm gestures to help us remember the next verse. It worked, and I still remember her moves and the passage. Last year Denali, Dylan and I memorized it as well.  We are a little rusty this year, so we’ll need to practice at dinner each night.  Hopefully by Christmas eve we’ll be good to go.
Since I had so much fun making things from birch wood this year, and I’m seeing birch trees everywhere, I decided to go with that theme.  You can download the FREE December Monthly Memory Verse here.  I hope you enjoy this one, and feel free to share it with your friends and family.  
If you want to know more about my Monthly Memory Verse, read here.

Design / etc.

Grey Nightstand

December 7, 2012

Remember the nightstand I bought at Salvation Army?  Well, I finally made sometime this week to work on it. With a little sanding and some fresh paint, this thrifty find is now one of my favorite pieces of furniture.
Because this little dresser had an icky laminate top, I used my How to Paint Laminate Furniture method, and it came out beautifully.  I will share more of my how-to and the products I used tomorrow. 
I moved it into my bedroom last night.  I had fun this morning putting out some of my favorite nick nacks.  The little bronze owl is from my youngest brother, Joash, he brought it back from India for me.  I haven’t seen him in a long time and I miss him, so I keep it close to me.  The butterfly and beetle are from Papua New Guinea, that’s where I grew up.  And the basket is from Sri Lanka, my parents moved their after the tsunami and did relief work.  

So, what do you really think?  Too much grey?  I know, I’m kind of addicted to the color.  I don’t think you’d ever know I paid $22 for this bad boy now.  I love that!  People pay $300+ for nice nightstands and I’m sure it’s nice to just buy new furniture, but I’m pretty proud of my bargain.  My house is full of hand-me-downs, fixer-uppers, and thrift store finds.  It’s one of a kind, no one else has one just like it, that’s for sure.

etc. / Find

Vintage Style Tinsel Tree

December 5, 2012

This year we are being soooo untraditional.  I’m still not sure if I am ok with it.  But we DIDN’T get a real tree this year!  I love real trees, nothing compares.  I love the smell, the lights and I love their imperfections.  We always have one, well I guess we had an artificial one in Papua New Guinea and Yemen, but always in the States.  We are heading to my parent’s house in Northern Cal for Christmas this year.  So, last year I bought this cute silver tinsel tree after Christmas thinking it would be a fun alternative to a live tree.  And we wouldn’t have to worry about the tree dying while we are gone. 
I love the sparse branches and it feels very retro.  I have it in our dining room and it’s really quite glamorous (which I am totally not) in there.   
I’ve been collecting vintage and vintage style glass ornaments since we first married.  My mother in law got me started.  I mostly like natural objects like pinecones, nuts and a few woodland animals, mostly in metallics and a little green and red.  These are kind of an investment. But, almost all of them were bought the day after Christmas, so they were at least 50% off. I love my fancy ornaments, and I am that awful mom that doesn’t hang my kids handmade ornaments on the family tree.  I have little trees in my kids rooms, and they can hang whatever they want on them.  Anyways, I thought my ornaments would really look great on a tinsel tree.  And they do.  But, I’m still missing the lights and the  pine smell that can’t be replaced. My kids are even ok with it, I’m the one that’s a little bummed.  So, for now I’m sticking with the tinsel tree, but we’ll see how long I last. Maybe we need just a little one. 
I got these really great ornament hooks at World Market.  They come in gold as well.
I found a few sources for some pretty good looking tinsel trees.  That champagne colored one is pretty great.
Green Tinsel // Champagne Tinsel
Silver Tinsel // Set of trees
What are your thoughts on having an artificial tree? Are you a sucker for a real tree like me, or are they just a hassle and too messy?

etc.

Instagratitude 2012 Recap

December 2, 2012

I’m so pleased with the Instagratitude Project.  Thanks so much to everyone who participated.  Do you know that 276 photos were shared on instagram with the #intsagratitude2012 hashtag?  I am so excited with how many times people shared their gratitude this month.  It was really inspiring and uplifting for me to share and see what everyone else was sharing.  It definitely put me in a better frame of mind each day.

Here’s my Instagratitude picutres.  If you participated, I’d love to know what you thought, and how this affected you this month.  I’m already looking forward to Instagratitude 2013!

etc.

Foxy Finds

November 28, 2012

Are you loving Foxes?  Cause they are everywhere!  I’m a sucker for a cute woodland animal, you know I love owls.  I found a great Pinterest board called all the owls have been eaten by foxes and I’ve been pinning them on my Foxy Finds Board.  The fox is definitely trendy.  Trends are fun, they give you something new to hunt for.  And they make me want to figure out how I can put my own personal spin on the trend.  How do you feel about trends?
  

Here’s a few cute foxy finds that I’ve found browsing the world wide web.

Fox Screen Print // Fox Sweater // Tea Pot       

etc.

A Stylish Deal

November 27, 2012

I want to share a great deal with you. It’s at one of my favorite stores, Target!  Yesterday we spent the whole day traveling home from Idaho. We had a fantastic Thanksgiving vacation with Lon’s family. But, with two flights, a shuttle to where our car was parked at LAX and then the 2 hour drive home, it made for a LONG day. And tomorrow I’m hoping on another plane again first thing in the morning, and Olivia and I are flying to Northern California to see my parents. So, to ease the pain of all this travel, I treated myself to a couple fashion magazines. 

Right now at Target, if you by InStyle and People Style Watch magazine together, you get a $5 Target gift card.  Now that’s a deal!  So, we swung by Target on our way to the airport so that I could snag up this deal.
  

These December Issues are packed with Gift Guides, which I love. They give me great ideas for stylish gifts for the more fashionable members of my family. InStyle has an article on 50 gifts for under $25. I probably won’t be buying the $495 metallic clutch, but fashionable finds under $25, that’s more my speed. That’s what I love about InStyle, they show you the ultimate in luxury alongside the just as stylish, but reasonably priced finds. I’m loving the “Home Made” cookie stamp and the fun kitchen whisks that collapse for more compact storage.  
People Style Watch has a fantastic Gift Guide as well. They feature 100 gifts at every price point and they even has some exclusive deals for their readers. I loved the C. Wonder personalized gifts they selected. I’m super tempted to order some the Colorful Print Mugs with their cute monograms. These could be a great gift for my girlfriends and sister in laws.  
And that $5 gift card was burning a whole in my pocket. I had my eye on these nativity tea light holders. They are regularly only $4.99 (oh there’s a wise men one as well), but this week they are only $4.49. I’m so ready for Christmas. Today is my only day home, so I’ll be madly cleaning, unpacking and then repacking. But, I really want to find a couple minutes to put out some Christmas decor. So, here’s my start. And what I nice reminder of the true meaning of Christmas this is. Thank you Target for a deal and a symbol of what this season is really about.  
“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™, but all my opinions are my own http://cmp.ly/3/KqtZiE” 

etc.

Spiced Coconut Rice Pudding and Broccoli Coconut Curry

November 26, 2012

I’m really excited to go and see the movie the Life of Pi.  So, Sunday morning I visited World Market right when they opened, and because I was one of the first 100 people in the door I got a free movie ticket and a Life of Pi reusable tote. World Market is promoting the Life of Pi with a Sweepstakes with fantastic prizes. A trip to World Market is always like a mini journey to some exotic corner of the world.  This trip to World Market inspired some yummy Indian dishes.  For me, Indian food is about the variety of flavors and dishes and how they all compliment each other. And World Market makes preparing an Indian inspired feast, totally doable.

I have long been a fan of curries and Indian food.  After the tsunami hit Sir Lanka, my parents moved over their to do relief work (they are pretty cool).  We had the privilege of getting to visit them.  We spent a month there, it is an amazing country.  So much natural beauty, wildlife, and culture.  But one of the highlights was definitely the food.  We really didn’t tire of the variety of curry dishes.  Our whole family LOVES curry, so I actual make some sort of curry dish and rice about once a week.

My kids favorite dish at an Indian restaurant is the dessert.  After growing up in the South Pacific (Papua New Guinea), I can’t get enough coconut milk.  So, this is my version of rice pudding.  Lots of cardamon and sweet coconut.

Spiced Coconut Rice Pudding
2 cups cooked basmati rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
6 cardamon pods crushed
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup each sliced almonds and raisins (optional)

Remove the black seeds from inside the cardamon pod, crush them with a mortar and pestle. In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients.  Cook on medium heat for about 20 mins, do not bring to a rolling boil, just simmer.  The mixture will thicken.  Remove the bay leaf.  Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Cardamon Pods

For this little feast, I really only made two of these dishes from scratch (and no one even knew), so really there was hardly any work involved.  Thank you World Market!  Here’s what I bought: Puppodoms, Coconut Milk, Chana Masala (Chick Pea Curry), Mango Chutney, Tandoori Rice, Milk Curry Paste, Tandoori Seasoning, and Basmati Rice.



I also picked up these traditional hammered stainless steal serving dishes.

I love a vegetable curry.  And once again, the coconut milk made an appearance.  This tasty curry is kid friendly and isn’t overly spicy.

Broccoli Coconut Curry
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 tbsp. Mild Curry Paste
1/2 cup water
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1 large head of broccoli, cut into bite sized flowers
1/2 cup coconut milk

In a large fry pan or wok,saute the garlic and onion in the oil until they are tender.  Add the curry paste and cook for 1 min.  Add the water and stir.  Now add the bell pepper and broccoli.  Cook on medium heat, covered for about 10 mins (or until the broccoli is cooked to your liking).  Add the coconut milk, stir and remove from the heat.  Serve with rice.

Beef or chicken can easily be added to this curry dish, just cook the meat after the onions and garlic.  And if you are not a broccoli fan, substitute the vegetables for ones you prefer.  

Life of Pi is the story of an Indian boy named Pi, a zookeeper’s son, who survives a disaster at sea and is thrown into an epic journey. While adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, he forms an amazing and unexpected connection with another a fearsome Bengal tiger. The movie opened in theaters November 21, 2012. You can watch the trailer for Life of Pi here.
And you should definitely check out World Market’s Life of Pi Sweepstakes that runs from 11/17 – 12/28.
  • Grand Prize package includes: a dream trip for 2 to India and a $1,000 World Market Gift card. There will also be 3 runner up prize winners that will each receive a $500 World Market gift card!
  • If you share the sweepstakes with 5 of your friends (via FB share or email) you can receive 5 additional bonus entries. This is part of the registration process when entering. Users can also enter daily for more chances to win.
  • Enter online at http://worldmarketsweepstakes.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/worldmarket?fref=ts

You can find out more about World Markets by following them on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and Instagram.
“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™, but all my opinions are my own. http://cmp.ly/3/KqtZiE.”

etc.

Great Personalized Gifts

November 24, 2012

Black Friday – we braved the Mall for a bit today.  We didn’t get there till 11 am, so I think all the crazy shoppers had already gone home.  I really didn’t find anything that I just couldn’t live without.
Sometimes I think online shopping is just the way to go. There are some really great personalized gifts out there this year, and you don’t even have to leave the couch.  These great online stores have fabulous custom gifts for everyone.  I would happily take one of each of the gifts below.
I love the catalogue Red Envelope.  Over the years Lonnie has gotten me a couple great gifts from them and I’ve ordered gifts for others too.  They have the cutest personalized pillows, wall art and accessories this year.  

And of course, West Elm is always my favorite.  I love these simple monogramed linen napkins, this is not stuffy, fancy pants monograming.  It’s modern and crisp in white.  And these striped hand towels are pretty fun.

And how great are these photo iphone cases from Shutterfly?  The options are endless – they have every color, layout, pattern possible.  They are all under $30, that’s not anymore then the generic ones you can buy.  

Did you go black friday shopping?  And did you find any great deals?  

etc.

Window Painting

November 21, 2012

I’ve kind have been fascinated with window painting.  I love when shops do a really great job with it.  Not the wild neon SALE signs, like actual art.  I have had plans to paint a wintery scene on my front window come Christmas time.  But, I thought I’d give it a test run for Thanksgiving.

One of my favorite blogs to read Wit and Whistle, posted about her DIY window art.  It was so absolutely lovely.  She used a chalk pen and traced her image and had fantastic results.

I decided I wanted to use a paint brush, so I bought a glass marker, pulled off the applicator top and just dipped a little brush in the paint.  I kept my first attempt very simple, so I just free hand painted on my lettering and leaves.  It was really easy and I’m excited to try something more elaborate for Christmas now.

Olivia was not impressed that I was outside without her.  She would much rather be outside most of the time. You can see her little face in the window.

We are heading to LA this afternoon.  We got a Hotel room for the night, so I think we’ll walk around Santa Monica tonight.  I need a West Elm fix.  We fly out to Idaho in the morning.  We get to spend Thanksgiving with Lonnie’s family, we are really excited.  I hope you have a great Thanksgiving.  I’m thankful for all my faithful readers.

etc.

Chalk Board Gift Tags

November 19, 2012

I obviously can’t get enough of chalkboard paint.  I’ve painted eggs, rocks, and walls with chalkboard paint. And this weekend I made these chalkboard gift tags.  I’ve decided I must love chalkboard because I’m a teacher and I miss having a classroom.  Or maybe I’m drawn to graphic and high contrast images.  That white on black does pop.

I wrote on these with a chalkboard paint pen to get the nice crisp lines.  I have plans to tie them to my Christmas gifts this year, and we’ll be able to use them year after year.  I also think they would look cute as ornaments on a Christmas tree.  And why not use them as napkin rings and write everyone’s name on them.

I even tied one around my Birch Wood Candle Holders with a nice little Thanksgiving message. My Fall decor this year is pretty minimal. Here’s a peak at my dining room. I have my candles on my Ikat Tray and on the buffet I filled some silver vases with dried wheat (that decorated with last year), and hung my little Fall Acorn Garland in front of the mirror.

I picked up the rectangle shaped wood pieces at Michaels.  They were in the wood section and cost only 29c each.  I also found the round wooden pieces at Michaels too, but they were in a package of 5 for about $3 and I had to drill the hole in them.  I painted them with one coat of chalkboard paint on each side and then tied some natural twine through them.

As you can see, I’m starting to get ready for Christmas. But, I just can’t post a “Christmas” post until after Thanksgiving. Is that weird? I just kind of think after Halloween, Thanksgiving is forgotten and people move on to Christmas a little too early. Believe me, I’m excited for Christmas, but let’s just have our turkey and pumpkin pie first. What are your thoughts?