Pink Paper Peppermints Sweet ♥ Crafty ♥ Goodness

are you brokenhearted today?

"The LORD is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope."
-Psalm 34:18

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“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”
-Luke 4:18-19

a super fun kids craft -- make a scrapbook paper, thanksgiving turkey, place card favor-wahoo!

We've been making turkey place cards and favors over the last few days and having so much fun that I thought I should share.

 
mama's scrapbook version

 
Little O's paper plate version

It looks a little complicated at first, but it's really simple once you make one and they go together pretty quickly so you still have time to make some for thanksgiving! 

Here's what you need to get started:

turkey pattern (download here)
scrapbook paper (I used almost all Elsie's from her adorable Zoe collection.  It's double-sided so my turkey looks just as cute from the back as it does from the front! The brown paper is Over the Moon Press)
paper plates or construction paper
plain white paper
scissors
adhesive
ribbon
crayons

Step One

For little ones who are using a plate you'll want to draw a square in the center of the back side of the plate that is about 2.5 x 2.5 inches.

Then draw lines from the corner of each square, out to the edge of the plate. These are your cutting lines.

If you're using scrapbook paper or construction paper for your turkey then you'll need to trace the paper plate on the back of your paper first and then create the cutting pattern.

Step Two

 

Next, cut your paper or plate on the four lines, stopping when you get to the square.

Step Three

(I'm switching to patterned paper  in the photos for better visibility but the steps are the same for paper plate or construction paper)

Now fold and score each section of paper on the square lines as above.

Step Four

Next you'll want to fold and score each of the four sections in from the corner of the square as in the photo above.

It should look something like this when you're finished:

Step Five

 

Now begin to fold the sides up to form the cup.  The right and left side flaps should be inside the cup.

 

The front and back flaps should be on the outside.

Use your favorite adhesive to attach the back flaps to the inside of the cup.

The front flaps will only be attached on the inside to create wings.

Step Six

Now cut out and trace (or color) and glue your feathers, face etc.  (well not *your* face, I mean the turkey pattern face...heh-heh)

I have to say, I especially fell in love with these turkey legs because it looks like he has the word "art" tattooed on his thighs, heh-heh.

My little guy created his own design on the feathers and plate and then colored them.

(we're learning about the five senses right now, so that's the mat you see under his work surface)

I found with the feathers, that it was easier to lay them out, arrange them, glue them together and *then* glue them to the bird rather than trying to glue them individually.

Step Seven

Now you can make name cards and attach with ribbon...

Or make a little sign with a favorite Thanksgiving scripture or quote for him to hold:

The cup is fairly large and could hold candy corns or snacks (maybe line it with plastic wrap first) or napkins or any number of things you might want on your Thanksgiving table this year.

You could also just make one and use it as a centerpiece.

I think these would be really cute made from felt or fabric too and then you could save them to use each year!

Have fun making these and send me links if you post photos!

Grace and Peace,

♥ Melissa~

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"...singing a song of Thanksgiving, telling of all Your wonders."
-Psalm 26:7

my banner will be clear

I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed.  I have Holy Spirit power.

The die has been cast.  I have stepped over the line.  The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. 

I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. 

I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.

I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear. 

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. 

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up the cause of Christ. 

I am a disciple of Jesus.  I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. 

And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me -

MY BANNER WILL BE CLEAR.

--Anonymous (said to be written by an African pastor)

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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"His banner over me is love."
-Song of Solomon 2:4

pumpkin gingerbread, homemade whipped cream* and a reconciliation attempt

My printer and computer no longer wish to be friends with me. 

I don't know why.

I thought everything was going fine and then one day last week, I leaned over to print something and the printer just turned his face away...all like..."I'm really not in the mood right now"...it was weird...

*sigh*

As you might imagine that makes it difficult to do...well...*anything* I need to get done around here...

So for now I'm posting this delicious pumpkin gingerbread recipe that I promised to some twitter friends and hopefully tomorrow, after some counseling, my technology and I will be able to get some stuff done.

(I have the cutest turkey project to show you!)

This bread is the *ultimate* Thanksgiving treat.  Really. You will love it.  It makes your house smell so cinnamony and good.

Serve a big, thick slice of it, warm from the oven, with a dollop of homemade whipped cream* and you will be in Thanksgiving Heaven!

Pumpkin Gingerbread

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups sugar (play with this amount. it can handle 3 cups if you like it sweet or 11/2 to 2 cups if you don't)
1 cup vegetable oil (or replace 1/2 c oil with applesauce)
4 eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

1 1/2 Tablespoons ground ginger
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground allspice

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or bread flour if you have it on hand)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans. (or you can use a sheet pan but you'll need to reduce the cooking time)

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, oil and eggs; mix until smooth. Add buttermilk and mix until well blended. Stir in pumpkin.

3. In a medium bowl, combine spices, flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and blend just until ingredients are mixed.

5. Divide batter between prepared pans.

6. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick comes out clean, about 45 minutes to an hour. (this really depends on your oven, so keep an eye on it.)

That's it!  Slice and enjoy.

*the astrixical situatuion:

Alright people look...

You *must not*  buy that tub of whipped, frozen, chemical, fake, fat this year, ok?? 

Really. 

Do you know how easy *real* whipped cream is to make?

so. easy. 

Come on.  Try it:

Homemade Whipped  Cream

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tablespoon to 1/4 cup powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or other flavoring as noted below)

I'm only giving you those ingredients so you won't be scared.  The truth is I don't even measure any more it's so easy.

Tips:

-The first thing you want to do is make sure your mixing bowl, beaters (or whisk if you don't have a mixer), and cream are icy cold.  

-I pop mine in the freezer for about 10 minutes before I'm ready to whip.

-Next pour your cream into the bowl and turn the mixer on (slowly at first or you will be wearing the cream- guess how I know that?)

-Gradually increase the speed until you get to med-high. 

-I have found that if I let the cream whip for about 30 seconds to a minute before I put the sugar in it whips up with more volume.

-Now add the sugar in a little at a time and then drizzle the vanilla in.  You can use any extract you like for this part depending on what you're serving your cream with. 

-Try making Lemon Whipped Cream or Orange Whipped Cream.  Add a little cinnamon or cocoa powder in with the powdered sugar for Cinnamon or Chocolate Whipped cream! (Cinnamon is especially good with my pumpkin gingerbread recipe up there.)

-If you want a soft whipped cream look for soft peaks to form, for a thicker, fluffier whipped cream look for stiff peaks to form.

-Whatever you do, stay right there and watch so that you don't *over whip* it or it will curdle and get weird and gross and liquidy. (again, you probably don't need to guess how I know that.)

-That's it!  It takes like 3 minutes and the first time you taste your own fresh, homemade whipped cream on a piece of pumpkin pie you will never go back!

-A cup of cream makes about a cup and a half of whipped cream and you can store it in the fridge for a day or two, but I think it tastes best fresh, so I try to make mine right at the last minute if I can.

Hope you are all having fun planning your Thanksgiving holiday with your families.

Peace and Grace,

♥ Melissa~

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"And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God."
-Ecclesiastes 3:13

when fear knocks let faith open the door

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
-2 Timothy 1:7

"I sought the LORD, and He heard me,and delivered me from all my fears."
-Psalm 34:4

"Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer."
-Daniel 10:12

'But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying,  "Fear not, only believe."'
-Luke 8:50

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"We walk by faith, not by sight."
-2 Corinthians 5:7

applique, embroidery, and inexperienced tote bag sewing

I'm working on a tote bag right now and I truly have no idea what I'm doing.  I'm bold like that.

(actually I'm usually afraid to try new things with pretty supplies, but I'm trying to get over that)

I've been wanting to try applique (but not the nice, neatly stitched applique, the raggedy edged, "rustic" applique, because you know "nice and neat" is not my gifting.) and I had these tea towels that I bought on clearance at Target for .74 cents (uh-huh, that's right) so I started thinking,

"Hey, I could make a tote bag out of these and try some applique and embroidery on it."

Oh did I forget to mention that I want to learn to embroider too?

So anyway, ask me if I know how to make a tote bag? 

No. I do not.

And do I like to (or even know *how* to)  follow a sewing pattern?

Um...also no.

But I really want to make a tote bag with applique and embroidery on it.  So here I go. 

Let's re-cap, I don't know how to sew, applique, embroider *or* make a tote-bag.

heh-heh...fun stuff.

I just said a little prayer and started cutting fabric and sewing and trying things...

and it was *so* fun!

It's not nearly as cute as it looked in my head.

But that's ok (I tell my mean, perfectionist side) because I'm *having fun.*

Here's what I have so far:

I need to wash it to get the edges of the letters all fuzzy & cute and it's pretty wrinkly right now, but I'm kinda liking it.

For the embroidery part, I picked the chain stitch to learn first and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

I really like writing with fabric and thread.  There is something so cool about that, especially when you're writing theWord.

(even if it is all crooked and uneven)

Now I have to figure out how to...you know...turn it into a tote bag...

I want to line it and put handles on it

(oh, handles...aug..ugh...my head wants to explode just thinking about it, measuring and ugh...)

and you know do tote-bagish things to it...

And I'm gonna say another prayer and be brave and just try it.

So hopefully that's what I'll be working on this weekend. 

And some Thanksgiving craftiness too.

Hope you have a fun and crafty weekend!

Grace and Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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"I am the LORD your God.  I am holding your hand, so don't be afraid.  I am here to help you."
-Isaiah 41:13

don't let a suitcase full of cheese become your big fork and spoon

There are some days when I only have a minute and really want to post something clever and creative and well...it's just not happenin'...ya know?

Nothing.

So here's something interesting I saw this weekend.  I can't decided if it's the coolest thing ever or a colossal waste of time and resources...what do you think?...

(I'm leaning towards cool)

This lady got tired of looking at this old gas station so she got some people together and they stitched a giant "gas station cozy" for it and the pumps.

The whole story is here, including tips on how to do this yourself if you want to.... heh-heh... I can't even finish the bible cover I'm working on so I'm pretty sure a *building cover* is not in my future... you never know though, it's all about God's timing isn't? 

(I know exactly what building I would cover up in my neighborhood too, only it's not abandoned...heh-heh...)

Off to spend the day in a very stinky, sweaty gym with my boys for homeschool basketball. 

I'm taking pink crochet to work on so I think I'll be ok.

Have a terrific Tuesday my crafty friends.

Grace and Peace,

♥ Melissa~

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"Just at the right time, the Lord will send showers of blessings."
-Ezekiel 34:26

it ain't over 'til it's over

"You are of God, little children,
and have overcome them,
because He who is in you
is greater than
he who is in the world."
-1 John 4:4

"I can do all things through Christ
Who strengthens me. "
-Philippians 4:13

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"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us."
-Romans 8:37

thank goodness it's over

Well, no matter what your political preferences I'm sure you'll agree with me that it will be a relief to not turn on the tv and see ad after ad about some senator who likes to torture puppies and tazer seven-year olds in his spare time (Brian Regan fans will get that - click here to see the bit - so, so funny).

I read a quote this morning that sums it up for me:

"As disappointed as I am that we have lost the election, I can't help but feel that many courageous leaders of the civil rights movement look down from heaven tonight with a smile that the day has come when a man is elected without regard to his color."
-Mike Huckabee

Me too.

As for the rest of it.  Well, God is still on His throne and as Psalm 37:25 says,

"The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord.
 He delights in every detail of their lives.
 Though they stumble, they will never fall,
 for the Lord holds them by the hand.

 Once I was young, and now I am old.
 Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned
 or their children begging for bread.
 The godly always give generous loans to others,
 and their children are a blessing.

 Turn from evil and do good,
 and you will live in the land forever.
 For the Lord loves justice,
 and he will never abandon the godly."

And the best part is now I can quit thinking about politics and get back to crafty stuff! 

(Not that I ever stopped doing crafty stuff.)

Last week I checked out the book, Sock and Glove by Miyako Kanamori, from the library and I love it!  It has so many fun easy projects in it.

Meet my little glove bunny:

 

Isn't she cute?  Seriously, now I am like a crazy person looking for socks and gloves on sale everywhere. 

I just want to make every little animal in this book.

And guess what?  I found some free patterns for the bunny and the doggy on Martha Stewart! 

So you can become obsessed with socks and gloves too if you want!

Here's the link:

Sock and Glove on Martha

If you put "sock and glove" into google image search you'll find all kinds of photos of the cute things people have made from this book!

So forget about politics for awhile and go make a glove bunny, k? 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance
through the knowledge of God
and of Jesus our Lord,

♥ Melissa~
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“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.  They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought.  Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit."
-Jeremiah 17:7-8

and we know what to do about it

As you know I love all things forties, especially cartoons. 

This one, although a little bit cheesy (in the greatest kind of way) made me laugh and well....tear up a little bit... to be honest....

If you watch it until the end I think you'll find it eerily foreshadowing...just sayin'...

My favorite line:

"...and we know what to do about it...."

 


Grace and Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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"Wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short."
-Proverbs 24:14

joy unspeakable and full of glory

   "The people the LORD has rescued

   will come back singing

   as they enter Zion.

   Happiness will be a crown

   they will always wear.

   They will celebrate and shout

   because all sorrows

   and worries

   will be gone far away."

-Isaiah 35:10

Have a blessed Sunday my friends.



Grace, Peace and Joy,

♥ Melissa~

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"The joy of the Lord is your strength."
-Nehemiah 8:10

reason # 5,711 that God is so cool - Caddo Lake

As promised here are some photos of our camping trip to Caddo Lake.  If you think there are too many you should have seen them before I edited...heh-heh. (I took 464 photos this trip,a small number for me really.)

This place is so gorgeous!  In the mornings this ethereal mist rolls across the lake and you feel like you're in a movie.

Makes me think of this hymn:

How Great Thou Art (second verse)

When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze;

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee;
How great Thou art!  How great Thou art!

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee;
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Snapped a pic of an early morning canoe-er here.

 

What a way to wake up Starbucks and this view!

The fall colors this time of year are spectacular.

 

We saw lots of wildlife on our weekend adventure including this mama & baby turtle with their mossy backs.

 

I tried to use my digital zoom to get a close up of this woodpecker that we heard while having coffee around the fire one morning.

It came out a little blurry, but look at that red head!  Doesn't he look just like Woody?

 

We took a tour of the lake on this amazing steamboat called "The Graceful Ghost"

The boys loved it and learned that Caddo Lake is a protected wetland ecosystem. (yay, homeschool...uh, campschool.)

I crocheted by the campfire every night! Super crafty, campy-ness!

And of course we had s'mores.

 

All in all it was a pretty wonderful weekend. 

 

Hope your weekend is lovely and peaceful.

His Grace and Peace,

♥ Melissa~

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"We look at this Son and see the God Who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment."
-Colossians 1:15-16