Geez, when I first created this blog, I had every attempt to update it and keep it going with frequent posts...I am failing miserably!! However, I am going to try my hardest to start posting more....

So what is my big first post about...CLEANING! lol, yeah...it is, seriously. Many of you know about my beyond addiction to pinterest. I pin everything and anything that I think I may need or want to make, and then when I’m bored and probably have some time to make or do some of my pins...I just spend more time pinning. However, this weekend I had planned to do some major deep cleaning, and the only way I could make it more interesting was to try some of my helpful clever cleaning pins!

So...here is the run down, I spent two complete days cleaning...windows, base boards, carpets, floors, pans, showers, toilets...sounds fun right?!

This was my first project:



I have great cookie sheets from when I got married a couple years ago...and then I have a few ancient one's that I either inherited from a roommate, or still have as a souvenir from my college days. So, I thought heck, I’ll give it a try, and see if they can still look good...looks easy enough! The recipe basically called for a mix of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, make it pasty then coat your pan...oh i did this, and even left overnight. Did it work? Absolutely not! I ended up tossing it out (I needed the space anyways.)




The next thing I tried was cleaning the shower head in my guest bathroom. That shower rarely gets used, but did have some buildup, so, with the help from hubs (cause I’m a shorty), I filled a gallon size zip lock bag full of vinegar. Kellen then took the baggy and immersed the shower head in the vinegar and using a rubber band tied it on the shower. We left it on for about 7 hours, and when we took it off, it was so shiny and clean!! :) It worked!



Another project I tackled was cleaning the burners on my stove. Using the gallon size ziplock bags, place each burner individually in a bag with 2 tablespoons of Ammonia, and let it sit overnight. Almost immediately, the clear liquid turns brownish. The next morning, when I took the burners out of the bag, they were amazingly clean, I just ran then under the water, dried and they were clean! This worked great! I will definitely keep doing this, I hate cleaning the stove!



After all the cleaning, my house smelled like cleaners...especially ammonia, which I can't stand! So, what did I do? I looked on Pinterest for a quick way to make the house smell good...now, I must say, my hubs was not in agreement with me over this idea, he thought it was a fire hazard, but it worked, and was so simple...all you do is get vanilla extract, a coffee mug, cookie sheet, and put your oven on 300 degrees. Pour two cap full of vanilla extract into the coffee mug, set the mug on the coffee sheet and set in the oven for an hour...your house will smell like a vanilla cookie!

So, I tried some new ideas, some worked, others didn’t…but all in all, I think my new cleaning techniques were successful…at least I actually made some of my pins into projects…and the result…a clean house!

Craft Show

I have always enjoyed going to craft shows; I just love looking at things people have made, and finding special gifts for friends and family that just can’t be bought at a retail store. Back in July, I really started wanting to make crafts; I quickly learned that crafting was very therapeutic for me. It was my way of escape, allowing me to focus on creating.

So…I made a few things, and was encouraged to continue to create more...so, In September, I got the grand idea of creating enough products for a craft show…now, this was not an easy, and always fun venture…my house was pretty chaotic…I didn’t want to take time to tuck everything away, and then haul it all out again the next night after work…so our kitchen table was pretty much covered with paper, fabric, glue guns, felt, tiles…ect. However, I pushed through, and we had our first show!

Last Saturday, Kel and I had a booth in the Believer’s Fellowship Craft Market. We had a wonderful time meeting other vendors, as we sold our products that we worked so hard to finish. The other vendors were so nice, we got lots of great tips, and were very encouraged through them. Here are a few pictures.

 

Will we do it again? YES. We will be a part of the Lanier Christmas Market on December 17,2011…Hope to see you there!!

One Year!

I can’t believe it's been a year since Kellen and I got married!

November 6, 2010

So we tried the top layer of our cake, it had been frozen for the year...Looks can be decieving, it was actually really good. I don't remember trying it on our wedding day, so Im really glad my mom saved it for us. :)

Ive leared a lot this past year. It’s been a year of adjustments…

-The first couple of months I had the hardest time sleeping; I wasn’t used to sharing a bed, especially with a boy!

- I have learned ans still learning that I have to rely on Christ and seek Him in knowing how to love and support my husband. (Media, and my expectations are pretty much always going to be unmet.)
-Im learning how to love unselfishly...only through Christ.

-I’ve learned that it’s a blessing to be able to share life with your best friend, and LOVE having someone to come home to.

-It’s been wonderful not to have to worry about having to find someone to fix small things around the house, or take care of the cars.

-I’ve learned that communication is hard…but, we are getting better at it. J

I think the biggest thing I have learned through marriage is that I have caught a small glimpse of God’s love through Kellen. See the thing is, I’m not the easiest person to live with, I get cranky, hurt, upset, tired, and my emotions can get a little out of hand. However, Killen’s love for me doesn’t waiver. It is constant. He has shown me unconditional love, when I least deserve it, much like Christ.

Kellen, thank you for showing me God’s love.

Birthday Fun...

This past Wednesday, October 26^th, was my birthday. Now, this birthday was different from the 27 other birthdays I have celebrated…because this was my first birthday as a married gal! I must say, my husband did an incredible job making me feel so special!!

The day started with him making a special breakfast with pancakes and bacon, and then right before I left for work, he surprised me with a band for my wedding ring! What a sweet surprise. It was a birthday/1^st Anniversary Gift.

Then, after work, he picked me up and we went to the Menil Art Museum…if you are in Houston, you should check this one out…it’s a hidden gem…and FREE! J I love going to art museums. Right now we are in class learning about the fall of Assyria, and looking at the History in that region, so I was a bit fascinated by the ancient sculptures. Kel even gave me a little history lesson along the way. J (He’s so much smarter than I am. Hehe)

Menil Museum

We then went to the Hobbit Café, I had been to this place once, and wanted Kellen to experience it. It’s a small cottage, with pictures and figurines of hobbits all over the place…I know, quirky, but unique. There food is really great, it’s all natural and healthy, (like you have to pay extra for French fries or onion rings) we shared some blackened tilapia…and a huge piece of carrot cake (not healthy J ). Here is a picture, it’s horrible and blurry but it’s the only one of the night.

Low and behold, there was another surprise for me waiting. When I walked in the front door, Kellen had placed a post it note with clues for lil’ gifts he had hidden all over the house. J I love his thoughtfulness! I got a self healing cutting board and rotary cutter so I can start cutting!! J

I think this was my favorite birthday... ever.

Redeemed Ministries

Did you know?

Houston is the most trafficked city in the US?  

Although, yes…Houston has lots of traffic, Im not talking about cars.

 Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery where people profit from the control and exploitation of others. Sex trafficking occurs when people are forced or coerced into the commercial sex trade against their will.  Child sex trafficking includes any child involved in commercial sex. 

There are more people living in slavery today, than any other time in history.

The reality is, there are thousands of women living in brothels, right in our own backyard. These brothels face as massage parlours, modelling studios, tea rooms, and even nail salons.

I first learned about Human Trafficking while I was in Ethiopia. After returning, I began researching, and discovered there were 7 brothels within 10 miles from my suburban home.

I did some research and found an incredible ministry to partner with;

Redeemed Ministries serves to:

EDUCATE people - Raise awareness of the existence of modern day slavery.

SEEK victims - Enter into the places of slavery to identify the enslaved.

BUILD relationships - Foster cooperation between legislators, law enforcement, service providers, etc.

IDENTIFY resources - Facilitate and advocate on behalf of victims to receive aftercare.

REDEEM hearts - Restore honor, worth, and reputation.

For about 3 years I have been volunteering with Redeemed, and currently serve as a coordinator for outreach. My eyes have been opened, and heart pierced.

These women are modern day slaves and have no voice. They are trapped in horrifiying situations. Held against thier will and in fear of their lives, they have become hopeless. Having no freedom, their cries for justice have been silenced. The pain of their circumstance has gone largely unnoticed, hidden. Their enslavement continues as the world around them conducts business as usual. Justice has been stolen from them. These women are hidden from the spotlight, but they are not forgotten. In order to be set free they need someone to fight for them. Someone needs to stand up for what's right. They need a voice.

Will you be a voice?



If you would like more information, please check out the website:
Redeemed Ministries

You can also leave a comment, or Email me.

Our Response: Prayer.

On Saturday, August 6th, Kel and I joined 30,000 people at "The Response". I had heard about the gathering from friends, and looked up the website: A day of prayer and fasting for our country...with politicians?  I must say, we were both a little skeptical, not knowing at all what to expect, even the website was extremely vague. However, we made the trek down to Reliant, to check it out.

Once we exited the freeway, I saw people lining the streets with signs, shouting as we drove by. Protesters. Their signs read, "There is no God", "Where is the Love?" , "Hatred isn't a family value", "Why Pray?". Immediately, i just began waving, and smiling as we drove down the street and into the stadium. I quickly felt tears rolling down my face, I wasn't mad or angry at them...I was hurting for them. I was broken for them. I felt sad, somewhere along their journey, they ran into someone who proclaimed to be a Christ follower, who treated them wrong, so wrong that they felt the need to protest. I was shocked at how much my heart ached for them, and how much I wanted them to know love from Christ AND His followers.

As we joined the others in the stadium, and spent hours in prayer and worship.It was an overwhelming experience, a small glimpse of what heaven will be like, singing with thousands and thousands of people, worshiping the throne of God. And yes, I prayed for revival to spread over our nation, strength and direction for political leaders, and justice to reign in our country...but, I think I spent most of the day praying for the protesters, and asking God to bring redemption to their hearts.

Here are a few pics we took:

Governor Rick Perry

Look there, its our friends John and Rob, in a crowd of 30, 000...they were a few rows down!

US! :)

Congrats Glenn and Lesley

Im so excited, my brother Glenn, and his girlfriend, Lesley just got engaged!

 He did a wonderful job on the proposal, he even hired a photographer to capture the moment:

My parents had a little get together for them with all their friends, so of course I wanted to have some fun decorating! I had seen a couple ideas online that I wanted to try out. 

One was yarn balls....not balls of yarn!

This is a simple craft, but messy...fun and messy!

Items needed:

yarn (I used 2 different colors)

a bag of balloons: I used 5 inch round balloons to make smaller yarn balls

Mod Podge, see my last post on how to make homemade CHEAP mod podge

Instructions:

1. Blow up, and tie a balloon. I only blew it up a little, because I wanted it to be round, and not oblong.

2. Did the yarn in the mod podge mixture.

3. Begin wrapping the balloon with the yarn. You want to leave areas where the balloon is not completely covered. 

4. After you have the balloon covered as much as you wish, squeeze the excess glue off of the yarn ball.

5. leave out overnight to dry.

6. Once the ball is completely dry, you can take a pin and pop the balloon.

Whaala!

You have a yarn ball.

You can place them on the table for decoration, hang them from fishing string, place them in a basket...let your creative juices flow!!

The engagement lunch was so much fun, while I was busy decorating, my love was makin the burgers!

Happy Engagement Glen and Les...we love you guys!