The Puppy-Dog That is Friendly

We have had this little dog for as long as I can remember. We even had two of them at one point. This one is missing part if his tail, and has pen on his head, but he still re-surfaces from time to time. I don’t remember where he came from originally, maybe with one of the Kellys (the ‘kid’ Barbies, were were never allow the ‘real’ ones because they were too perfect). :) Anyone else have a little puppy or other animal like this?

Anyways, my little brother found him back in his pocket yesterday, and decided that since I was taking pictures of things I had sewn, I had to take pictures of this little puppy as well. From there I simply had fun with it!!! :) You might be seeing more more of him, as I want to take shots of him hanging out all over the place.

On some washcloths that are for the Etsy Shop:

On the lid for the container holding my pins and needles:

Various places around the deck:

Digging in the Flower Pot:

Oh, and then he got a bath under the tap. :)

Modest Mondays #2

Yes, I forgot about taking pictures of what I wore. I also wasn’t home all week. That didn’t help.

Here is something I wore today:

*Yes, I hate these mirror pictures too. :S

Scarf – Same lace infinity scarf as last week

Shirt – Another basic shirt from Smart Set. $6.00 on the sales rack or something. :)

Belt – won it through Aloette for FREE!!!!! :)

Skirt – Thrifted. $5 – $10 at Value Village

 

*I am linked up at The Modest Mom Blog*

Modest Mondays #1

I am starting something called Modest Mondays where I share outfits I have worn in the last week that are comfortable, modest and what I consider cute. You can decide if you agree with me. ;)

I wore this outfit to school on Wednesday. The weather was really nice, so I wanted to wear something summer-ish

Skirt – Really old, like from grade 7 (???) Don’t ask me how it still fits

Black Sweater – also something old-ish. One of those staples that stays in your cupboards for years

Aqua T-Shirt – A Smart Set plain tee. I have so many of those shirts… they are kinda my wardrobe essentials.

Lace Infinity Scarf (see below) – made by me!! Probably one of my new favorites.

(It also probably cost me about less than $1.00. Something else I got when I worked at Fabricland.)

 

*Linked up at the Growing Home*

Product Review–Lime Ricki Swimwear

*I am not paid to promote Lime Ricki, I just love their swimsuits and think EVERYONE needs to know about them!!! :)*

Have you heard of Lime Ricki Swimwear??? Well now you have!!!

Their new spring/summer line for 2013 is in, and it is beautiful!!!!

They are extremely cute, reasonably priced, and best of all… MODEST!!!

Me and my three sisters all have their swimsuits, and love them so much!!! I don’t think we are going to get them from anywhere else for a long time!!! I currently have a boy shorts bottom and a top that has a straight neckline, and love it!!!

A huge bonus is that the tops are actually long enough!!! No more peeping midriff!! And even their bikini (classic) bottoms are not super high-cut or have a low waistband. I don’t feel over-exposed when I go swimming anymore, and don’t have to spend the extra money on a cover-up that I put on as soon as I get out of the water.

The fabric is very good quality, and lasts for a long time, as long as you take care of them. They recommend thoroughly rinsing them out with cold water after each wear, and I would recommend the same thing. That way the chlorine doesn’t get a chance to sit in the fabric and ‘eat it away’.

The sizing is pretty true-to-size. A couple of years ago they ran a tad small, but in the last couple of years they are much better. I recommend ordering a size up if you are not completely sure about your size/fall in the middle. Go by their sizing chart and you will be fine.

They also run AMAZING sales!!! Sometimes things are up to 60% off for a couple of days!! You can also get last year’s line at a discounted price over in the sale section.

Here are my two favorite pieces from this years’ line. Cute, modest and completely in style. AND reasonably priced for a bathing suit of this quality and look.

Top: Button Royal-Stripe Tankini

Bottom: Ruffle Wrap Poppy Skirt w/ Bottom

 

Giveaway - Trim Healthy Mama (for more than Mamas)

Head over to the Growing Home to enter an awesome giveaway for Trim Healthy Mama. I REALLY want to to win this book, because it is helpful for EVERYONE!!! :) Head on over to the Growing Home to read the full review and enter the giveaway!!! :)

 

 

Are You Chasing the Wind?

This past weekend we were privileged to hear Mr. David VanBrugge preach in our church for both Good Friday and Sunday. He is a student at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary (PRTS) and a former high school teacher of mine. This post is a summary/reflection on his sermon on Ecclesiastes 1:12 – 2:26 entitled “Are You Chasing the Wind?”. He specifically focused on Ecclesiastes 2:17 which reads, “Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.”
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What Are You Chasing?
Mr. VanBrugge began by asking the above question and then following it with numerous other questions.
Solomon’s portfolio was full, and was the greatest in all of Jerusalem, both before his time and after. It was full of everything you could ever imagine. He chased pleasure and built a great many things for pleasure. He admired beautiful things and had the pleasure of enjoying more blessings than many others could ever dream of. What about us? Are we chasing pleasure? And wisdom, Solomon chased after that as well. He was the wisest man that ever lived, and he saw great importance in education and the application of it. And us, are we chasing wisdom? What about education? Solomon also worked hard at everything he did. He didn’t stop working. Are we chasing work?
If someone video-taped our entire day, what would it look like? What is our lives filled with? Some examples that Mr. VanBrugge used were music and education. Are we drowning out our lives with music? Do we always have something on so that we never have silence, so that we don’t have to think, feel or contemplate? And education, are we going to school simply to get a ‘ticket’ into a more purposeful life?
Mr. VanBrugge closed off this point with asking the following questions. Are we able to grab the wind and save it for later? Do we ever reach a point that we can say we ‘got it’ and don’t have to go any further? Are we able to just stop because we have all together and found the purposeful life?
Why Is It So Frustrating?
Pleasure is worthless and leads to nothing. Education and even wisdom do not solve the world’s problems. What we work for now doesn’t help us after we are dead. Everything we do in this life is worthless and leads to nothing. By chasing these things we are chasing the wind.
And a side note, you don’t have to place 100% into something to ‘chase it’. You can put 70% or 30%, or even less into it, and be chasing it. You can just dip into it, you are still chasing it.
What is the answer?
Mr. VanBrugge ended the sermon with this last point. He began this point by saying that when we chase the wind we are going the other way of the answer. GOD is the answer. There is NOTHING other than God that will satisfy our souls.
BUT, we are also told in God’s word that there is nothing better for man than to have joy, to eat, drink and be merry. This might seem like a contradiction, but everything has to be viewed as gifts from God. What God gives us is amazing, and we are blessed beyond what we can even imagine! Wisdom is good, for God has given us minds to think. He also desires for us to worship Him by/through learning. And if we are to work for God, everything to us is joy! When we do everything for God there are no promotions, for the glory is for God, not for man.
And Mr. VanBrugge still linked this to Easter. We might think, “How does this connect to Easter?” If Christ has not risen from the dead, then what is the point of life?
At the end of the sermon Mr. VanBrugge gave five points for living life for Christ.
Live a life for Christ:

1. By realizing His daily goodness to you
2. By realizing His design in creation
3. By living the gospel
4. By earning and giving responsibly – And this is more than money. It could be trust or respect or more
5. By treating your relationships for gospel opportunities and gospel words

The last words of the sermon were, “Only what is done for Christ will last.” (quoting a poem by an author whose name I can’t remember)

Flourless Dark Chocolate Cookies

A friend of mine and her husband (who is Gluten Free) just had an adorable little girl last week. I have been wanting to try this recipe out, and also wanted to spoil them again. lol. ;)

So, here is an awesome, yummy, gooey, chocolately, recipe for gluten-free cookies!!!

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*Mine don’t quite look this pretty. This is the picture from the website. I didn’t have a camera available to take pictures of mine. :)*

Flourless Dark Chocolate Cookies

Makes about 24 cookies

Each cookie is approx. 72 calories

Ingredients:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (about 9 ounces)
3 large egg whites, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar, divided (plus 1/2 cup for cookie coating)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave, stirring twice, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly.

Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1 (I halved the sugar here) cup sugar. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow cream.

Whisk 1 cup sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. On low speed, add dry ingredients into meringue mixture.

Mix lukewarm chocolate mixture and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (dough will become very stiff).

Place 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. Roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball; roll in sugar, coating thickly. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes. Cool on sheets on rack 10 minutes.

Transfer to rack, cool

 

My friends also got this adorable little outfit and a pair of homemade baby shoes for their little lady. :)