Simply BeAuTiFUL

http://jonesdesigncompany.com/

is having a wonderful giveaway.
Her pillow... YES! Everyone needs THAT pillow!

Rain, Rain, go away................................. I want to wear my new boots TODAY!

The Christmas Cards I Made and Never Sent

Okay... Christmas snuck up on me...again! I made cards last month, yet never got them sent out. I think I'll make a few more this next month, and if I address them in February, maybe the family and friends will get them in December 2011.

I really had fun making these cards...

I took scraps of burlap, and frayed the sides, copied a picture that I liked (visit... http://www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/ she has the best stuff on the Internet), and zig-zag the picture to the burlap and pre-made blank cards from the local craft store (use your 50% coupon).

So, for my family and friends who didn't get a card.... SORRY, I love you and Merry Christmas!

Pillow #1

Well I made my first pillow.... feeling like I don't need PB anymore in my life...Okay, now that is a fat lie. HA!

Hopefully I will have time tomorrow to make another.

Sweater Pillows

I stood in Pottery Barn for over an hour last week trying to decide if I should buy the pillow or not. I knew it was way over my budget, but honestly... I love the pillows! They are $39 each plus you have to buy the inserts which are $24....$63 for one pillow???? Deciding to do the right thing, I didn't buy them. After much thought and a slim amount of cash in my wallet, I decided I would make my own. I hit the thrift store and bought many white and cream colored sweaters.... I learned if the item is over 14 days old... you get the item 1/2 off. I went to Walmart to buy pillow inserts, was terribly disappointed how expensive they were. So I went to the bedding dept. and found regular bed pillows for $2.50 and decided I would take a small amount of stuffing out and make them the size I want.

So here I go... I'll be sewing today. My pillows will cost me less than $4 each

RULES

My "college" kids come home this week.

I thought they should be welcomed at the door,

a welcome home sign.

Let's just say, the Mr. and I are getting use to a clean house

and we like it!
(actually, I'm so excited to have them home, I'll clean up after them....shhhh)

How to Replace Glass in Kitchen Aid Oven

I had used the self-cleaning setting on my oven and started to wipe down the oven before it was totally cooled off… and when I put a rag to the inside door, the glass broke. I called the local appliance repair store and they wanted more than I could spend not to mention it would be at least 2 weeks to get the replacement glass. With Christmas two weeks away, and my desire to bake… I went online and ordered the glass from Kitchen Aid, which was only $35 and they sent it 2 day- fed ex. Whoo-hoo! So my dear husband replaced it for me.

This is why I blog on how to fix:

1. to help anyone that has done this

2. because I need reference when I do this again

3. remind myself how wonderful my husband is

Here is how we replaced it:

(be a better wife and clean the oven more...oh wait, that is how I broke it! keep the oven dirty)

Check if there is a hinge stop bracket. Open the Kitchen Aid oven door fully. Locate the hinge-locking lever on top of each hinge. The locking lever looks like a larger part of the hinge near the oven door cavity. Rotate each of the locking levers forward to unlock the door hinges. The lever pivots over the top of each hinge.

Grasp the door on both sides with your hands, and begin to close the door until the door stops.
Lift the door off the oven and place the door on a padded flat surface with the door handle pointing down.

-Have a table with a cloth on top ready to lay the door.

(my poor husband, he abuses his hands (see his thumb) doing projects for me)

-Remove the outer screws, starting from lower side of the panel.

-Remove the inner screws. REMIND YOURSELF NEVER TO BREAK AGAIN!

-Keep all screws ordered, and take note of the order you remove them. We learned the hard way!

-You will follow reverse order in reassembly.

I learned you can use a screw driver to remove, but must use a hand screw driver to put back together (my man is smart).
-The frame will be free now, remove the external glass panel and leave it in a safe place.
-Keep going until you get to the inner glass, remove broken glass, clean area, and replace with your new glass.

-Clean outer glass and metal door, re-assemble it and mount it back

It took about 40 minutes for the entire project... and we saved about $250

I better go make my sweet husband cookies now for helping me out...

One of the Happiest Day's on Earth

Let's be real... I've been to Disneyland about 8 times this year, but yesterday was one of the best. The park was over crowded, you couldn't get on any rides, the weather wasn't perfect... however, it was wonderful hanging out with my family!

We told the kids to ditch the last day of school before finals (aren't we good parents) and go with us to the park. I do laugh at how OLD not only me and my sweetheart are, but my kids! Around 7pm, everyone was ready to go home and go to bed.

It was so fun laughing, and the four of us hanging out together. This day will go in my "fond memories" part of my brain!

I feel good!

My heart is full... Today was our annual Ladies Christmas Luncheon at the church which I oversee. I'm so blessed when everything turns out great, and it did. The music, speaker, food, and fellowship was so great.... it couldn't be any better.

I have to publicly thank my beautiful daughter to traveled to help out. I know how busy she is preparing for finals, but came with some friends from school to help me for the day. I cant believe how blessed I am to have such a wonderful daughter, always willing to help someone in need and she is a kindest person I know. So thanks Becca-Boo!

We have table hostesses who decorate a table for the luncheon. Each one, with their own dishes, and decor of their choice. If we had prizes, my mother would have won. Her table was so fun. It was a whole rustic theme, and I'm sorry I don't have better pictures. She had rocks around the table (they were chocolate rocks) they looked so real, and it was funny watching ladies eating rocks. She did a burlap runner, had tin cans on the chairs full of treats for the guests to take home. Wood everything...It was so CUTE!

I was so busy preparing food, decorating the room, etc. that I didn't put much effort into my table, but thought I'd include for you to see.

Well, I can rest now for 11 months until the next luncheon. WHEW! I must be kidding myself... I'm a pastor's wife, I don't get to rest! I really enjoyed the message, and as the Christmas holiday quickly comes... I hope to really focus on what is REALLY important. That I would remember WHY we have this holiday... My Lord! I hope I don't get caught up in the commercialization, but make memories with my family. I think it is funny how we get things so mixed up... we spend so much money, buy junk, when our greatest memories are things that cost nothing, by doing fun things together... playing cards, making a craft, cooking something together, even trimming trees.

I'm officially ready for Christmas now!