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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Yummy Chicken Salad

I was craving something healthy for lunch today so I decided to make chicken salad. My mom used to make tuna/chicken salad quite a bit and she would put mayonnaise, sweet relish, and onions in hers. I didn't have any relish or onions so I just threw things together that sounded good at the time.

I didn't measure the following ingredients, you can have fun with it...put in what you want!





    • Canned white meat chicken

    • Celery cut into small bits

    • Dill

    • Mayo (the kind made with olive oil...it's healthier!)

    • Mustard, just the regular old yellow kind

    • Onion powder



I ate it in a pita pocket with spinach and sliced cherry tomatoes with celery sticks and ranch dressing on the side. Yummy!



What do you put in your chicken salad?

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Live Fearlessly and Peacefully

I was so blessed by a greek word study from the other day that I felt I NEEDED to share the highlights with you. We are so blessed to have the translated word of God readily at our fingertips; however, it's unfortunate that some of the meaning gets lost in translation. Thankfully there are people out there who take the time to look back at the Greek/Hebrew and dig up a the true heart and meaning behind a verse. I love Sparkling Gems from the Greek by Rick Renner, it's a book of word studies focusing on verses out of the new testament.


{via}




Make Up Your Mind To Live Fearlessly And Peacefully in These Last Days!


That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.


-2 Thessalonians 2:2



 soon = "greek word tachus which means quickly, suddenly, or hastily"


shaken= "greek word saleuo which means to shake, to waver, to totter, or to be moved."


Renner says the tense Paul used here of these greek words foreshadow events that will be so horrific they could "result in shock or alarm," and they will be so devistating they could "throw the world into a state of  shock or distress."


mind = greek word nous which is "everything in the realm of the intellect, including one's will, emotions, and ability to think, reason, and decide."


Paul is telling us is to control our minds. We cannot allow ourselves to be controlled by fear or panic. What good would that do anyway?


troubled- greek word throeo which is "inward fright" that could result in a person being "devoured with worry, anxiety, or fear."


Paul prophesies these events will not be a one time occurrence, the tense he uses "points to an ongoing state of worry and inward anxiety resulting from these outward events."


Renner says it's obvious the day Paul was speaking of has arrived and that we need to be "deeply rooted in the confidence of God's promises!" He mentions the following verses:




And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.


Colossians 3:15 & 16



rule: is the greek word brabeuo "which describes an umpire who calls all the shots and makes all the decisions."

When God's word dwells in us richly then His peace will be what is leading us and helping us make moment by moment decisions, not our emotions or events of the day.

richly: is the greek word plousios which "can be translated as lavishly."

I'm trying to get a picture of what letting God's word dwell in me richly would look like. I guess it means his word would come to mind quickly in a time of need because I've been in the word constantly and I'm always being refreshed. The decisions I make would reflect whether or not the word of Christ dwells in me richly. The words I speak, the way I behave, how I treat others, etc. Wow, come to think of it, I need to be in the word a whole lot more than I am. :-/

If we're rooted and grounded in God's word and we're letting the peace of Christ rule in our lives then we should never have to give into fear or panic which is something I often do even in my daily life {bad Mandy, BAD!}. Our minds should always be stable and fixed on the truth, God's word. Should we find ourselves giving our minds over to fear then we need to remember 2 Thessalonians 2:2 and Colossians 3:15 & 16.

I hope this blessed you as much as it blessed me! Do not fear!

Here are some more encouraging verses:




Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.




-1 Corinthians 16:13



But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.







-2 Corinthians 4:7-11







For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.




-2 Timothy 1:7






For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"




-Hebrews 13:5-6



There are lots more...you'll just have to look for yourself. :)


God bless you.


-Mandy














Friday, August 26, 2011

Insta Friday & New Item in the Shop!


Wednesday we went to the library with my friend Samantha and her two little girls for Story Time! Noah's first trip to the library! I learned that we need to work on sharing. He kept showing other parents and kids puzzle pieces he was playing with and would scream if they tried to take it out of his hand. To them it looked like he was trying to give it to them. Um, I was embarrassed by his behavior. :) But kids are kids right? And I'm sure my senses were just magnifying it because my brain feels the need to be super aware of what my kid is doing at any given moment. Of course that's because I'm a mom.



Yesterday, Thursday, we picked Daddy up for lunch and went to Granny's after we dropped him off. We went to the little park in her neighborhood and played. Of course Noah brought his golf club, golf ball, and sock (golf glove) along for the trip. Because why would you go anywhere without them?????


Today we played in the shade of our walkway. I thought it would be fun to let Noah play with a bowl of water. I bet you can guess what ended up in it, dirt, leaves, wood chips, balls... We made dirt soup and it was good.


Sweet little chubby fingers...Noah and Mommy.


One last thing, I made a new clutch this week and finally added to the shop. Stop by and check it out!



Use DAYTRIP for 10% off your purchase! Just enter it into the coupon code at checkout.


Hope y'all had a wonderful week!! Have a great weekend!!


Mandy



life rearranged

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Inspiration Workshop Week #13 {Favorite Color}


I think this is only the second time I've had a chance to link up with Gussy. And I'm so excited about this one because it's all about color! Here is the prompt from Gussy's blog:
THE PROMPT ~
This week’s prompt is YOUR FAVORITE COLOR. When you think about that phrase, do you think of a memory that involves your favorite color? Do you think about your home that is bursting with your favorite color? Do you think about beige, which is secretly your favorite color?! {tee hehe}

Sorry guys, I can't pick just one favorite color! So I decided I'll share my favorite color to decorate with, to see/be around, and to wear! That's three colors y'all.

First up: Sea Foam Green or light Turquoise 

UM hello! My name is Mandy, and I'm obsessed with this color, I can't help myself. Anytime I see any kind of decoration that's sea foam green or a variation of it I instantly fall in love. It's really bad you guys. My couch and comfy chair are that color, the paintings in my living room have it in them, I have candle holders and accent decorations ALL in sea foam green. I haven't taken it over board YET but it's getting close.


The birdie and the candle holder were purchased from two different flea market trips. You can read about the bird & some other great thrifted finds here. I love flea markets. Did you notice that even the dogs' bed matches?!

Next up: Green, the color of nature.

I'd like to find a place like this on a hike.


{via}


Or have someone handsome, named Dallas {<--that's the dude I'm married to aka the father of my child}, row me around in this boat Notebook style. :)


{via}


If this was my tree I'd build a treehouse in it just for me to read books in.


{via}


& Lastly: I LoOve Cream/White shirts.


I have this really thin, linen white flow-y top from target that I love. It's probably my favorite shirt because I wear it a lot and I've had it for a few years now. I wore it yesterday actually. I have a similar one that's 3/4 sleeved from Old Navy. I also have a sleeveless one that I never wear. The shirt has no shape but I hold on to it because I like it on the hanger and still hope that maybe someday I'll actually like it on, or find a different way to wear it. I found a few other shirts on pinterest that caught my eye....


{via here, here, here, & here}


I think I like white/cream tops so much because you can get really creative with your accessories and outer wear. It's like a blank canvas!


What is your favorite color? And how does it inspire you?!


Happy Thursday!


-Mandy


Gussy

Monday, August 22, 2011

Tipsy Tuesday- Rosette Earring Tutorial

Hey guys, it's Tuesday! You know what that means?! Time for a tip, a tute {tutorial}, a recipe, a what have you...the list goes on, come link up with us {for more info click here}. So I don't know if I'm crazy for sharing this with you since I'm trying to sell my earrings but I decided to show you how I make them. And since I'm not the only one who makes these things I bet this isn't the only tutorial out there. But anywhooo, we all have our ways of doing things don't we? So here goes. And you're welcome in advance, maybe you'll decided to buy a pair out of the kindness of your heart. ;-) Wow, do you like how I started the last three sentences with 'and' & 'but'? I obviously haven't been in school for awhile. :)

First things first, grab your supplies:


1. rotary cutter or scissors 2. scrap of fabric 3. hypo-allergenic earring posts 4. hot glue gun 5. cutting board


Cut a strip of fabric about 16 inches long and 1 inch wide. {this should be enough for 1 pair of earrings}


Fold it in half length wise, then fold it in half again. {fold in half twice}


Begin to roll it. Add hot glue every now and then to secure it. And you can twist the fabric as you roll for added texture.


Do step 3 until your earring is the size you want it.


When you're done rolling and twisting find a stopping point and hot glue the side down. X marks the spot.



Now glue the excess fabric underneath the rosette. X marks the spot.


Cut off the excess fabric. Glue to earring post. Repeat steps 2-6.



That was fun!


See? They're tiny, cute, and feminine. Maybe a little hippie-ish too...if you're into that sorta thing. :)


It's your turn! Link up below with a tip/tutorial/recipe/inspiration/anything to get us inspired to create! Be sure to tweet about this to get the word out and more people to link up with us. Let's get to know each other.


Hope you all have a great Tuesday!


Mandy


 


Tipsy Tuesday Participants

1. nwafoodie

2. Earl-Leigh

Powered by... Mister Linky's Magical Widgets.

Welcome to Toddlerhood

I'm sitting on the couch uploading photos for tomorrow's Tipsy Tuesday while my little man who is almost 19 months old sleeps away in his new toddler bed. I have to admit I thought transitioning him from the crib to big boy bed would have been a difficult process, much like I expect potty-training to be. It's weird to me that we potty train toddlers and puppies. Seems like there should be a different term for the two. Oh well, if it works why change it? Anyway, I thought for sure Noah would have gotten out of bed a gazillion times and I would have to put him back in bed a gazillion times before finally winning the battle; or losing, and putting him in the pack & play. But to my surprise he cooperated and stayed put while I read 5 or so books to him. Then I told him it was nap time started his music box, slipped out of the room, and ran to look at the monitor. After a minute he did sit up and begin to fidget so I cracked his door open and told him to lay down. He eventually nodded off to sleep. :) I am one happy momma!! It's nice when they make it easy on you.


I'm convinced he's the cutest kid in the world especially when grandmothers that we're not related to tell me he's cuter than their own grandkids. We're talking serious cuteness here people.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

FREE Printable! Bible Verse

Hey everyone! I made this on my Sketchbook Pro app for the iPad and I thought it might bless some of you so I decided to share it! You can print it on card stock (it's cheap at any craft store or Walmart) frame it, and hang it in your baby's nursery, your craft room, or anywhere you want.


It's nice to surround ourselves with little reminders of God's word. Especially when they're in a pretty poster! :) I hope you enjoy.


Click here to download the PDF version.


 

color love {yellow}


Yellow, so cheerful and calming. :)



{source}



Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Hope

Aren't you happier when you have something to look forward to? Whether it's big or small, you're happy in the waiting because you're expecting it to come along when it's time. Perhaps it's waiting to go on vacation to the beach to relax and sunbathe, to get a massage after work, payday, etc. Think about it...there is always SOMETHING to look forward to.

In most cases though the happiness brought by that particular massage or trip to the beach fades with time. There are few things in life that supply overwhelming joy and everlasting happiness. There are few things in life that last, including us. Each one of us will die one day. Ask yourself one question, does it feel like you should die? I still feel as though death is not real, that it shouldn't happen to me; it is foreign to my being. A part of me feels as though I should go on living forever. This is my life that I didn't even ask for. I live, I breathe, I think, I feel, smell, touch, taste, hear. Now why would I or should I ever stop doing these things? To die seems like such a waste.

Tell me, do you feel like you have a purpose? More than just to live your little snippet of a life that may or may not have an impact on the generations to come. I mean, it is a nice thought that maybe my life has had a positive affect on the people who will go on to live after me, but those people are just going to die someday too. So, while it is a positive thing to leave behind a legacy it isn't good enough for me if it all just ends. Scientifically; I've heard the whole entire globe is going to end someday...just like that, and be no more. Then what was the point of it all? And if you are saying to me, "why does there have to be a point?" Well isn't it true there is always a 'point' or a 'purpose' to everything you do? Why do you eat breakfast in the mornings? Why do you brush your teeth? Even the seemingly pointless things you do probably have some sort of purpose at least on a personal level. Why would everything suddenly become pointless?

Back to the point {<--hehe}: People are always looking forward to various things. We seek to be happy, to be blessed, to be comfortable, we seek for love, and to be accepted, every single one of us. Why do we share these commonalities? I think we were created to be hopeful and to seek good and do good. I know, I said created. Isn't it true created things have purpose behind them? For example; toasters, whoever created them made them with a purpose in mind: to toast bread. {Bad example? maybe.} I feel as though I have a purpose and I certainly did not give myself life. I suppose my parents gave me life and their parents gave them life and so on. People started somewhere and I think the first pair were definitely created with purpose.

To be continued....

 

 

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Bridesmaid Hair Update...

A couple weeks ago I looked to Pinterest for help on deciding how I wanted to have my hair done for my BEST FRIEND'S wedding!! I showed you all the board I created with all the choices but I haven't let you know what I ended up deciding on. I typically think I look nicer with my hair down but I decided to be brave and branch out!! I chose the Michelle Williams side undo. My other best friend is a hairdresser so she did my hair. :)



Here's a side view of how it looked! I opted for more volume on top.


Thanks Kim! ;-)



And here's the beautiful bride and her girls!



{source}


Laura and Kenny's wedding was beautiful! Their reception was so fun with lots of food and dancing. Such a wonderful big day. God is so good to have created something so wonderful as marriage.


Mandy


{Tipsy Tuesday} Words of Inspiration.


Hey y'all! I've been thinking about the power of words lately. So, I felt it would be fitting to feature some of the inspirational prints I've found via Pinterest for this Tipsy Tuesday. Ya know, just to get us all thinking. :)












 

Want to link up with your tips, tricks, tutorials, inspiration, or what have you? Just put your name and specific link to your post in the box below! Wondering what I'm talking about? Click here.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Tipsy Tuesday Feature!!

It's that time again, Tipsy Tuesday time. Do you have a tip, tutorial, recipe, etc. to share with us? If not, here's a little secret...you can always come back and link up later, it doesn't expire. So, no worries! For those of you who are just stopping by for the first time you're probably wondering what I'm talking about, click here to find out the details.

Instead sharing a tip with you this week I thought it would be nice to feature some of those who have linked up in the past couple of weeks! Being featured every now and then is just a little perk of linking up. Now that I've enticed you, let's get on with it. ;)

Lyndi, from NWAfoodie shared why you would or wouldn't want to rinse your rice!



Samantha from The White Orchid Studio shared how to make a Roll-up Fabric Paintbrush Brush Holder




 

 

Earl from Earl-Leigh Designs shared a tutorial on how to make what she calls The Dirty Girl's Wallet :)



& the next week she shared an Easy, Cheesy Eggplant Parmesan recipe!


{source}


yummy!


I'd say these are pretty valuable tips! Much thanks to all who have been participating in Tipsy Tuesday! And if you haven't linked up with us before I hope you'll consider linking up today and in the future! You never know, you may end up being featured or winning a fabulous prize. ;)

Linking up is simple, just put your name and the link to your specific blog post in the box below.

Have an awesome Tuesday!!!


-Mandy



Monday, August 1, 2011

What do You Think of When...

What do you think of when you see billions of stars?


{source}


{source}


What do you think of when you see beauty?


{source}



{source}


...when you feel the sunshine?


{source}


What about when you smell or taste?


{source}


When I see/experience these things I think there is reason and purpose for life and love is behind it. I think we love to create because we were created and it's in our nature. I think God has left his fingerprints in all that is good so that we would desire to seek him.


What about you? What do you think?