Full

It's been a really long week, and it was full.

It was amazing having my best friend, her fiance, and my lil boo-bear here.

It was excruciating watching someone I loved, this same week, go through one of the hardest times of their lives.

It didn't take long before I was feeling both drained and filled to the brim.

Drained of all energy, expended both in the making of beautiful, precious memories (carrying Abigail around Washington DC on my back, hiding under the covers with Khy, listening to Joe's sonorous Southern accent) and in grief, watching someone I love suffer.

Full of contentment (because my heart is never quite fully complete without my BFF nearby) and full of - not exactly fear, though that's a word I've used to describe it - but of gnawing, biting uncertainty.

The dichotomy of this week was indescribable. Immense happiness and immeasurable grief danced at my fingertips, never far from reach, and all I had to do was to reach out and grasp and the full depth of either would have washed over me.

And yet, floating in the middle, I have never been more divinely aware that I had a choice about how to respond to the storm of emotions whirling around me. I could choose to be angry, to be afraid - or I could cease, like a child, choosing a sort of surrendered helplessness, resting (literally, it sometimes felt) in the arms of Christ.

I can say with 100% honesty that the presence of God as Father had never been more real, more felt, more present to me than it has been this week. Especially in the absence of my earthly Father (who was hundreds of miles away on a business trip), I have never felt the peace of God so present when I needed it. Just as I was so aware of how close happiness and pain constantly were, the "peace that passes all understanding" was also near, almost silent, never shouting for my attention, but constant and available whenever I turned for it, grasping.

This week has been a snapshot of life - full of happiness, full of pain. Perhaps they rarely walk so closely, vie quite so vigorously for dominance, but I can say with certainty that I can see His hand in my life right now with a clarity I can only find intoxicating. In a way, I am basking in His presence, knowing that this level of peace and comfort is a gift offered to those who are in crisis, and (while I have no desire to live my life in a constant state of crisis), I know I will miss it when the supernatural fades back to everday grace, and the practice of faith begins again.

I am in a valley, on a mountaintop. I can see clearly, and I cannot see at all.

I am in the dwelling place of the eternal God, and underneath are His everlasting arms.

Those who sail the sea of faith find out before too long

How quickly blue skies can grow dark, and gentle winds grow strong.

Suddenly, fear is like white water pounding at the soul

Still, we keep on, knowing that our God is in control.

He has a reason for each trial that we walk through in life.

And though we're shaken, we cannot be torn apart from Christ.

No matter how the driving rain beats down on those who hold the faith

A trusting heart will always be a quiet, peaceful place.

 Sometimes he calms the storm with a whispered, "Peace - be still."

He can settle any seas, but it doesn't mean he will.

Sometimes he holds us close, and lets the wind and waves grow wild.

Sometimes he calms the storm, other times he calms His child.

A Handmade Christmas: Gifts For Guys

Guys are so hard to shop for!!! Unless you have a) tons of money, or b) a guy who has an obsession - a favorite sports team, video game, movie, etc. If you have one or the other (or both!) of these things, then you're set. Even then, though, there are only so many sports jerseys, memorabilia, etc, that you can give a guy. And guys are hard to make gifts for, because whatever you're making can't. look. cute.

I feel like I have it especially tough because neither my dad nor my bro are into sports - as in, I don't think either of them could name three professional teams in any sport - nor are they gamers. Generally - as in, all the time except Christmas - I like these traits. :) When Christmas rolls around, I wish they were a little more stereotypical.

This year, with my goal of making every gift, I must have googled "handmade gifts for men" a dozen times, and read through literally hundreds of ideas. Here are the best of them!

First, a few I came up with:

Homemade car "emergency" kit - My brother is sixteen this Christmas and just a few weeks away from getting his license, so for Christmas I made him a "car kit." While I did buy the contents of the kit, I did assemble it myself (lol) and I sewed the actual case (although I didn't use a tutorial, this one right here looks exactly like mine - shh, don't tell the guy in your life that it's a makeup case! :) I made my version out of vinyl and a heavy-duty zipper, so it's water resistant and hefty).

 

With the exception of jumper cables, which I got on a fantastic sale on Black Friday, I got all of the following items at the Dollar store: a roll of duct tape (in his favorite color), a clip-on booklight (I figure it's useful if he has to make repairs by himself in the dark), a regular flashlight, an ice scraper, a tube of super-glue, a box of bandaids, an interchangeable-head screwdriver, a tire gauge, a roll of shop rags, and a can of auto wipes.

I'm not much of a mechanic (can you tell? lol) so I focused more on filling the kit with things that were "generally useful" (i.e. duct tape, super glue, flashlight) than tools. If you're a little more mechanically minded, you can google "emergency car kit" and get more ideas!

Barbecue kit - Some of my favorite memories from this year are of grilling with my BFF's fiancee, Joe, so when I started thinking about what I could make for him, some sort of grilling/barbecue related gift came to mind. This is sort of like the above gift, in that it is mostly buying things and "assembling" them (lol), but it still counts in my book. :)

My barbecue kit included: 2 hot mitts that I monogrammed for him using fabric paint, 2 towels, also monogrammed, and a jar of bacon salt (if bacon isn't his thing, swap it out for a jar of smoky BBQ rub). If I knew how to can, or if Joe lived locally, I'd totally throw in a jar of the best barbecue sauce ever. But since I don't, and he doesn't, and the jar would have to survive a 12 hour road trip unscathed, I can't. :(

Other ideas (that I had, but that didn't work for the guys in my life):

• An iPod or iPad case - if your guy is tech savvy. The great thing about this is that by varying the material and/or embellishment, you can make them as masculine or feminine as you want.
• Make a "movie buff" kit - mix up some homemade popcorn seasonings in salt/pepper shakers (check thrift stores and/or Ross or Marshalls), a box of plain microwaveable popcorn (or loose popping corn, dependings on how you like to make your popcorn), or make a batch of kettle corn. Put it together with a couple of new movies (raid the $5 at Wal-Mart), tickets to the movie theater, or a gift certificate to his favorite movie rental place (did you know that you can give gift certificates to Redbox? I didn't either!).
• If your guy is a reader - well, you've scored a good one! :) Make a book kit instead! Include a manly bookmark (Check the thrift store for old copies of titles like "The Last Of The Mohicans," "Ivanhoe," etc, and replace the raffia/ribbon with leather thong). Add the fixings for his favorite hot beverage, and why not make some coasters (using the covers of the book you cannibalized for the bookmark, lol) while you're at it? Last (but not least), slip in the book you know he's been dying to read, or a gift certificate to the local bookstore. Or the Kindle store. :)
• Fill his fridge - What guy doesn't love food? If you have a bachelor on your list, why not make a huge batch of lasagna, mac-n-cheese, or whatever your signature dish is, portion it into individual-size containers, and freeze? Print some labels that include reheating instructions, and you're set to go! (If you really want to go all-out, include a homemade "gift certificate" that entitles him to one free refill). Or try making a sweet edible bouquet. :)

Other people's ideas:

• 25 Handmade gifts for men (some of the things strike me as too "cutesy" for guys, but there are some useful ideas)
• 15+ Handmade Gifts for men (again, pretty generic and sometimes kooky, but some gems)
• 32 Best Homemade Father's Day Gifts (these are supposed to be for Father's Day, but many of them are generic enough in a good way that they'd work for any guy!)

These are all the ideas I could come up with! :) What have you made for the guys in your life?

Date Night!

Since both of us are single, Maggie and I have claimed Thursday night as our "sister-date night." :) It works out well because Abigail and I pick her up from her OT appointment, take her to lunch (Monterreys, Abigail's favorite!), and then she generally comes back to Abby's house with us and stays the afternoon. When Chris or Natalie come home, we go out to dinner, do some shopping, etc.

This week, we decided to do something a little different, and went out on Friday instead, so that we would have enough time to drive up to the next town and see Les Miserables (as our local theater didn't carry it - boo)! We looove the musical, and Maggie's Christmas present this year was a pair of tickets to go see the stage production in Baltimore. :) We figured seeing the movie would hold us over until then!

 Since it was three hours long, I have to admit, I was dreading it a little. :( Not only was I really dubious that it would be worth watching, but I had just suffered through The Hobbit at our local theater with Allen, and my back and knees were in agony (there's a reason, when I went to see it the first time, that I drove to a theater two hours away where they had comfy seats).

Well, the night ended up being one of the best. sister dates. ever! :)

First amazing thing: I went online to check the showtimes, and discovered that you could reserve seats online. I've bought my tickets online a bunch of times, but usually you still have to get there early to ensure you get a good seat. This time, you could actually reserve the seats you wanted! Nice!

Then we arrived, walked into the theater, and I almost died, because the seats were huge leather recliners! I'm not kidding - my mom had a Lazyboy when I was younger, and the seats were kind of like that - oversized, plush, with electronic recliners and footrests. I could have taken a nap (in fact, I was thinking the entire time that if I had only brought Allen here last week, I could have slept through the Hobbit, since I was so terribly bored - I tried, but the seats were just too uncomfortable). Maggie and I were hugely giddy over this discovery and acted like small children as we tried to get the reclining angle just right. :) I hadn't been to this theater in years, but when I had gone, it was pretty gleck, so I was amazed.

Finally, the movie: amazing. I'm just so hugely, hugely impressed - which is ironic, because when we found out that Les Mis was coming out, we'd joked that we'd have to see it back to back with The Hobbit, so that when it deeply disappointed us (as seemed inevitable), we could cushion the blow by immediately seeing the Hobbit, which would be amazing (as also seemed inevitable). Well, both movies ended up blowing our expectations to pieces - we LOVED Les Mis and could have left The Hobbit.

I'm not gonna do a full blow-by-blow analysis here (lol), but I will address some of the concerns we'd had before going:

• The film is mostly the stage musical filmed. They stick almost exactly to the plot, and don't deviate much. For us, this was a huge plus!
• 99% of the actors can sing. Nobody sang poorly enough to detract from the experience (as happens in, say, the Phantom Of The Opera movie). While some of the singers lack a certain "oomph" to their performance, again, it was never enough to make me cringe. If they I was especially impressed by Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe! :)
• The gritty scenes in Les Mis - the prostitution, defiling of Fantine, etc - were handled with a lot of grace. Nothing explicit is ever seen, but none of the true horror of what is going on it sacrificed. It's a tough balance, and they nailed it.

We had a great time and have decided that all of our movie-going dates will now take place at this theater! :)

A Handmade Christmas (Part 1)

This year I decided to attempt to make all the gifts I gave. While I was mostly successful (I ended up buying three people's gifts, lol), and learned a lot, I think I mostly learned how I could have done it better. :) I'm going to be doing a post each week on how to have a handmade Christmas, including some of the best tutorials I found (or created myself!), but I thought I'd start this off with a quick recap of the biggest lessons I've learned!

• Start planning now. Start a folder on your computer, create a Pinterest board, or start clipping inspirations - trust me, you'll want all your ideas in one place, and nothing is more frustrating that knowing you saw a tutorial for the perfect gift but being unable to find it, or having to waste a lot of time tracking it down. Also, having a list of gift ideas reduces the panic of choosing a gift for a recipient - you already have a whole list of ideas!
• Start creating early. My original plan was that I was going to try to make a few gifts a month, thus relieving the stress of trying to finish gifts last minute. This didn't happen, but I sooo wish it had. :( Trust me, you'll enjoy the creative process much more if you're not rushing to finish things last-minute! (And just a note: plan on spending more time that you think it will take, especially if you're learning a new skill or trying a technique for the first time)
• Invest in good materials. Your gifts will only be as good as the materials they're made of. I think part of the reason that some people shy away from making their own gifts is that they're afraid they'll look tacky or "holly hobby." Using the best materials you can afford really helps avoid this - think about it: a simple hand-crocheted scarf in cheap acrylic yarn is one thing, but that same simply scarf worked in a more expensive cashmere yarn is luxe. And if you're going to put all that hard work into it, you want it to be something the recipient will love and really use!
• Take your time and do it right. This is my downfall... I tend to be a "forest" person (i.e. not very detail-oriented), but I learned that this is kind of in the same vein as "use good materials"... Taking the time to do projects "the right way" is what elevates handmade projects from "holly hobby". If you're refinishing furniture, take the time to properly clean and sand it before trying to paint. Use the appropriate glue. Let the paint dry before moving on to the next step. Etc. (yes, I do have a story for each of these!)
• If you can, start "stashing." It's easier to create when you have a stash of materials to draw from. My stash was only a Rubbermaid bin, but just having that rubbermaid bin to stick stuff away for later saved me a ton of money. If you're going to be making a lot of sewing projects, start hoarding scraps of material, buttons from rag-bag clothes, etc.

I'm going to do some more posts, including my favorite tutorials, some gifts I created all by myself (lol, tutorials to come), tips, stocking stuffers, etc. So stay tuned! :)

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

See my poor chipping french mani? Time for some spa time!!!

 Tempeh burger - my mom found big blocks of tempeh at Trader Joe's for $1.80 a block (!!!) and cooked some up tonight alongside the sloppy joes(Good thing, too, cuz I somehow ate some chicken or pork - I can't figure out how! - and my belly was not having anything to do with meat). She seared it with some teriyaki sauce, which was a.ma.zing.

 

 

I looove my new fox mug. :) I longingly picked it up all throughout December whenever I went to Starbucks, but I was not paying $7.99 for a mug. Then Christmas came and went, and the mug got clearanced for $3. So, of course, I snatched it up. :)

 

 

Our tickets to Les Miserable - Maggie's Christmas gift - arrived today! I'm super excited (even though I think I'm gonna go a little nuts waiting for April!) :)

Winter Bucket List 2013

I've made a decision. Instead of doing one big winter bucket list that includes Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Valentine's Day, and all the fun stuff that comes with snow (lol), I've decided to break it up: one "holiday" bucket list covering Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's (that starts as soon as my Fall bucket list ends), and one "winter" bucket list starting right after New Year's Day and running until spring. :) With that...

1. Make a snow angel or snowman
2. Have a winter photo shoot
3. Go star or moongazing
4. Make homemade playdough with Khy
5. Go sledding or snowball fighting
6. Buy new running music
7. Go see Les Miserables
8. Start a new habit
9. Plan out Rebekah's shower and bachelorette party
10. Make homemade valentines for Abby's class
11. Order prints of favorite photos from the year and put them in an album
12. Get up early and go out to breakfast by myself
13. Start a summer vacation fund & start planning a trip
14. Buy/make a cute hat, scarf, and mitten set for the first snow
15. Feed the seagulls :)
16. Start a book list and begin reading!
17. Spend time writing
18. Do something special for a family member
19. Sew/craft something
20. Find a new soup recipe for the crockpot
21. Organize my Pinterest boards
22. Start a recipe file
23. Host a game night for friends
24. Make a garden plan
25. Try my hand at knitting
26. Find a new TV series to watch
27. Try a new hairstyle
28. Go to bed early and listen to music as I fall asleep
29. Find a new favorite hot drink

I'll probably be adding on to this list as I go... right now my brain is a little addled from lack of sleep (we stayed up way, way too late last night ringing in the new year. :)).

Anyway... what's on your bucket list for this season?

2013 - A (Very Brief) Recap

2 - new things I tried this year:  growing my own (small) garden, and raising chickens
0 - traffic tickets or car accidents (yay!)
1 - new friend made this year (hey Joe)
3 - years that I've had my amazing job!!!   It gets better every day :)