Friday, September 28, 2012

Jute Growth Chart

This month marks my nephew’s first birthday! Yay! So, doing my job as a good auntie and godmother, I felt like I needed to make him something unique, that he didn’t already have. I knew my sister didn’t have a growth chart (thanks to my stealth visit to New York this summer) and I’ve always wanted to try making one, SO seven feet of jute ribbon later – woo hoo we’ve got one! :)


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{Yep, wrote those numbers in myself, by hand. No stencil. #someonePLEASEgivemeasillhouette}


I like that she can hang it up on any wall:

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Or roll it up if she needs to save space.

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And all it took was about an hour of time and love. {Coke Zero optional.}

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Dear sis, please appreciate that I HAND STITCHED that little dowel and twine onto the jute ribbon so you can hang your growth chart. Just for you. {wink}

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I think that little dowel was my favorite part – as were these cute little pins and tags I added so she can document his growth throughout the years…

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There’s even room on the back of the tags if she wants to write little anecdotes about his milestones and likes/dislikes as he grows.

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Happy Birthday sweet nephew! Here’s to many more years of love and growth in your life! Love, Auntie!

Linking up here this week!
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Wednesday, September 26, 2012

What I Wore Wednesday: Integrity


“Be who you are and say what you feel,
because those who mind don’t matter,
and those who matter, don’t mind.” ~Theodor Geisel

Except it’s not that easy.

Except that sometimes
There are people
Who will want to quiet you and
Keep you still.

Except that sometimes
You will put up walls
That get in your own way
That you will try 

Days
Weeks
Months
Years

To climb out of
Until the only way to climb out
Is to 

Just

Be 

You.

Deeply rooted

Full of 
Action
Consistency
Principles
Value

And measure

Your worth
In His hands.

And that those words you speak
Build up
because they are spoken
with Truth
And always
With love.

And that you,
That ‘you’
who you are
Is always you.

Even when no one is watching.



Live, 
so that when your children think of FAIRNESS, CARING and INTEGRITY
they think of you.”  
 ~H. Jackson Brown Jr.~



 {source}

  

Not afraid to be me!

 I WON! {Just kidding! I've just always wanted to take a picture like this!} :)
Flip Flops: ROXY
Dress: Snap

 Live life, deeply rooted and free.

“He who walks in integrity walks securely.” ~Proverbs 10:9
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Friday, September 21, 2012

Fall Food: Pumpkin Cheese Ball

Are you ready for fall yet? Have you been busy baking fall treats? Well, since it’s been 100 degrees here lately (no joke!) and turning on the oven is the LAST thing on my mind -- I have been all about no bake and cool food. So, enter the pumpkin cheese ball!

Yes – apparently I am turning everything in my house into pumpkins right now! I like to call it the “Cinderella Effect.”


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This recipe {or craft?} is simple and looks great at parties! What a perfect little fall appetizer set with some crackers around it! Simply buy a cheese ball, carefully make pumpkin groove lines with a knife or spoon around the edges and add a thin celery stalk for the stem!

And you’re done! Easy as pumpkin pie!

I asked my kiddos: “Isn’t she cute?”
Kiddos: “How do you know it’s a girl?”
ME: “Um, you’re right buddy… I don’t.”

But I bet s/he’s yummy!

Happy Fall Ya’ll!

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Monday, September 17, 2012

The World’s Best Peanut Butter Dip

Well, that title was given to this dip by my boys and, in their world, this is the best tasting dip ever! {Hey, who am I to argue?} To me this is the best dip ever because it's so easy to make!

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You only need 3 simple ingredients to make this magical dip! Ready?

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INGREDIENTS:
  • 3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter {A little more, or less, to your preferred taste.}
  • 1 jar (7 oz.) of Jet-Puffed Marshmallow crème
  • 8 oz. Cream Cheese {softened}

DIRECTIONS:
  • Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together completely with a large spoon until smooth!! That’s it! SERIOUSLY!

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  • You can eat it right away or you can chill it in the refrigerator until you're ready! {Refrigerate any left overs}
TIP: It makes it easier to mix if the cream cheese is softened and the peanut butter was not refrigerated.

And voilà! You have made a yummy snack for your friends and family to enjoy!! It's so quick and easy to prepare, I know I'll be bringing this dip to a fall party or two this season! :o)

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I recommend apples to dunk into your delicious peanut butter marshmallow dip!! We also enjoy it on celery, pretzels and spread on bagels!
WARNING -- this dip is deliciously addictive! You may find that you don't need any snack for dipping - just a large spoon! ;o)

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What would you dip in YOUR peanut butter marshmallow dip?

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Linking up here and:

White Lights on Wednesdays
So I Married A Craft Blogger

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Tuesday, September 11, 2012

9/11 ~ World Trade Center Memorial

September 11th is a day our country will never forget.

Like most people, I will always remember where I was when I heard the news.

My sister told me every year on September 11th, the people she worked with in New York City would retell stories of where they were and what happened to their offices. You see, she used to work walking distance from the towers {post 9/11} and the people of New York continue to live with and walk through the effects of 9/11 to this day.

When I heard talk of a memorial, I couldn’t imagine anything doing justice to the destruction and emotion of that day. How do you properly memorialize such a tragedy and immortalize thousands of lives?

I wasn’t sure it could be done.

Yet, it was. And, in my humble opinion, they did a really good job.

Below are some images from my trip this summer to New York when I had the opportunity to visit the 9/11 Memorial located on ground zero. I was moved more than words or these images can convey.

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In order to visit the memorial you need to go to the visitor’s center where they will give you a ticket with a time frame for you to go. {I think this is temporary since there is still a lot of construction going on around the memorial. Once all the surrounding buildings are complete, the memorial should be a place where visitors and residents can sit as well as walk through in the city.}


Three items in the visitor’s center will remain in my heart and mind forever. 

First was this flag:

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It is called the Flag of Honor and the stripes include the names of each person who perished in the attacks of 9/11.


Wow.




Second was this statue:

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This six foot replica of the Statue of Liberty is covered in badges. Each badge and button represents a firefighter or emergency worker who died in the attacks. Just another of many moments of pause and reflection in this tiny shop...


And third, I have no picture, but it was the streaming video they had projected on the back wall of the small center. It played non stop images of that day and shared personal testimonies of survivors and people who experienced the day first hand. To hear this in the background as you walk around the center was emotional, to say the least.

To see so many ways to remember that day, the sounds, the memorabilia, it was so emotional -- and we hadn't even been to the actual memorial! Just the visitor center! But, I'm glad we made the trek.


After we left the visitor center we were able to walk through the actual memorial.

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{This tarp is hiding construction still going on.
Some buildings are still being repaired, replaced and used for the memorial 11 years later!}


In case you don’t know about the memorial, they turned the base of each World Trade Center tower into two waterfall pools. They are magical to see, but the sound of the water rushing adds so much to the calm and peace of the site.


World Trade Center One:

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World Trade Center Two:

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The water falls down the edges and continues to fall down that square hole in the center. Below that square would have been the basement and parking garages for each of the towers.



Bordering each tower’s waterfall is a plaque. This plaque is engraved with every person’s name that died in the towers, on the flights and as an emergency worker.

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We know this site is special because city planners did not build new buildings here. They left it a memorial. As it should be.

 They are, however, building a new tower right next door. They’re calling it One World Trade Center:


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I hope it stands strong for a very long time.


Dear New York and Dear World: We will never forget.

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"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” ~John 16:33


Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Wordless Wednesday: {First Day of School}


BackToSchool 005{Find the printable here! <----PS, these words don't count!}


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{Find the printable here!}




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