Angela's Heartwork

Mistletoes & Owls, too!

2012-01-18T14:14:00.000-05:00

Ahhhh, craftiness, how I love thee! It drives my husband insane and grants me serenity. It's a win win situation if you ask me. ☺ I have been snatching up blank canvases whenever I see them for 50% off because they are just so much fun to create on with my son. So while my parents were here over Christmas I laid out the art sheet and we created 2 of these beauties, one for us and one for my mom and dad to take back to Buffalo with them.

The feet are, of course, my son's, and the red "bow" are his finger prints. I painted the light bulbs around the photo as I knew he would not sit still long enough to do his finger prints along the whole thing. Even though it is more of a "Christmas" theme, it is proudly hanging in our living room.

The other big project I have been busy with is preparing for my beautiful friend Aline's baby shower. I have been dying to make a shower wreath since seeing a diaper wreath on Pinterest. I didn't want to do diapers, though. I wanted something that would last longer so I decided to do burp cloths instead. This is what I came up with:

And since she loves owls, I had to add the cute little wooden owl to the middle. I did put pins in the back of the cloths just to keep them from sliding. (One in each burp cloth.) I love how it turned out! It'll go on the door so she'll see it as she comes in the house.

Not to let that be all that I do and since I am extremely frugal, I wanted some more owls to decorate the house. I had found an Owl Pattern via Pinterest and used that to cut out the body and wings of the owl with cardboard.

Then I covered them with scrapbook paper and construction paper.

After that I attached the wings to the body using a glue gun then added buttons or beads for eyes and drew on a beak.

I was going to make them into a garland of owls, but since there were 20 and I didn't have enough ribbon, I decided to just make them so they would hang individually.

I love them! Seriously, I think they came out super cute. ☺ My son wants to keep them. I told them that we can't, that they are for Aline. I promised him I will make him train ones for his 3rd birthday party in March. It'll probably be easier to just buy the wooden ones that are already made at Michael's or Hobby Lobby! LOL

Anyways, that is my latest craftiness! I am working on gift bags for our PEP Moms retreat coming up in February. I love putting them together and taking a plain bag and making it beautiful. Such fun!

Oh, and if you are reading this and haven't signed SOPA and PIPA petition, please do:

Take Action!

Two bills before Congress, known as the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, would censor the Web and impose harmful regulations on American business. Millions of Internet users and entrepreneurs already oppose SOPA and PIPA.

The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel. Sign this petition urging Congress to vote NO on PIPA and SOPA before it is too late.

Counting it all joy,

Angela

What I've Learned...

2012-01-11T22:13:00.000-05:00

Since Becoming A Mom, I have learned...

1.) To Laugh More

If you don't have a sense of humor coming into motherhood, you better find one quick! Yes, children are silly but if you aren't willing to get silly with them, especially when trying to diffuse a situation, you are in for more stress. Child driving you nuts with his playful screaming & carrying on? Don't yell at him, yell with him! He'll either stop because he thinks mom has finally lost it or you will get a great giggle out of it. Child splashing like a crazy baby in the tub? Don't get aggravated, get even & join in! Frustrated that you are getting all soaked? Pshaw! Clothes dry - join in on the fun - or just jump in the tub with them!

2.) To Trust Myself

When you are pregnant, after having your child, while your child is growing up, you will constantly be getting "advice" from people you know, people you don't know, people who think they know more than you, etc. Take it all with a grain of salt. YOU know your child better than anyone else. You are the one raising that child; the one that is around that child the most. Trust your instincts, your heart. If something doesn't feel right, call your doctor, go to the ER. The internet is a vast source of information, but it is not the be-all, end-all of what is correct. Just because it is on the internet or Dr. Oz or Oprah said it was so doesn't make it right. How many times do reports come out saying one thing then 6 months later they say they were completely wrong? Trust yourself. Yes, listen to your pediatrician but also respect what your heart tells you.

3.) Mommy Friends Are A Lifeline

If you do not have a group of mommy friends - get them! Oh my goodness, I would be lost without my beautiful group of mommy friends, let me tell you! They have been a true godsend! Not only are they there for play dates with the kids, but for much needed mom's night out and to just have adult conversation with. We learn from each other, we share each other's joys and sorrows, we pray for each other, we cheer each other on, we love on each other's kids, we complain together, we laugh together - oh the laughter! I would be one seriously depressed mom if it weren't for my Mommy friends.

4.) Let Them Get Messy

Whether it's while eating, playing in the dirt, doing arts and crafts - let them get dirty. It washes out. ☺ Just remember to take lots of photos! Cherish these moments. They are precious memories and ones that your child will remember. They will remember the fun mom who let them have fun with the paint, who wasn't worried about the carpet or the furniture, who didn't stress over their clothes. Let them be kids. In this day and age, with the media wanting them to grow up so fast, don't you want them to have fond memories of being children?

5.) Let Them Eat Hot Dogs 24/7

Seriously, if he wants hot dogs for breakfast, I give him hot dogs. My husband is so worried about him not getting enough nutrients so I bought Gummy Vitamins. But our child loves hot dogs and cucumbers. That is the staple of his diet. Don't get me wrong, he'll eat other things, but he pretty much loves hot dogs and cucumbers. He goes through phases, as I am sure all kids do. I am just grateful that he eats. There are some kids that barely eat anything. I would rather not be on that side of the equation, as, to me, that would seem more stressful as a mom. And some day I may have to deal with that, so for now, if he asks for hot dogs, give him hot dogs! It does amaze me that, at age 2 & a half, he already knows what McDonald's is, or, as he calls it, Donald's. He will devour nuggets, fries and apples from his happy meal in no time if it is from "Donald's." But if we make him the same thing, he barely touches it. SIGH. Kids.

6.) Let Them Help

Even if it isn't "right." Whether it is folding the laundry, making cookies, dusting, pushing the cart - if their little hands want to help, let them. ☺ Some times it isn't feasible, I understand that, but when you really don't have to be anywhere at a certain time, when things aren't having to be done in a rush, let them help you. You are spending quality time with them, teaching them something new and they feel so "big" when they are with you, tagging along. Besides, chances are, they will quickly tire of what they are doing and you can get back to the task at hand and be done with it quick enough, no harm done.

7.) To Hide

Yes, I said it. HIDE. First it was the bathroom. I'd go in there and get online on my phone just to check my email and Facebook. I needed a break! Good golly. He was quick to figure that little trick out, though. Little fingers poking through the crevice of the door. Sweet (yet oh so annoying) voice calling, "Mommy!" My heart ached because boy did I love him but man, I just wanted to pee in peace!! SIGH. The joys of motherhood. ☺ Then I learned to hide in my room. I could hide in my closet but couldn't turn the light on - dead giveaway. (There's now a flashlight in there - hahaha!) Or I can hide just outside the closet on the floor. If you look in the room, you can't see me, but you can still hear the cries for "Mommy!" Thankfully my husband has agreed to give me one night a week of peace. Granted, I have to remind him weekly what night that is. And believe it or not, I have forgotten many times. Ah well. It still doesn't stop the calls of "Mommy!"

8.) To let them be Fearless

Okay, this is a hard one for me as a Mom. But my child is a boy, so for all you "coddlers" out there, forgive me. But kids will be kids and boys will surely be boys. Now I said fearless not reckless. There is a difference. Kids are going to get hurt. And when they do, my rule of thumb is, if it's not gushing blood and he's not crying bloody murder, it's no big deal. The less you react, the less they will react. I expect bumps and bruises and to wipe away tears and plant lots of kisses on boo boos but I will not let them stop him from trying new things and enjoying life. I do not want my child to be afraid. Being terrified of something is not good. Being leery is okay but being unwilling to try something for no good valid reason is just plain silly. When you fall, get back up, dust yourself off and try again. I want him to know that that is life. Learn from your mistakes; do not let those mistakes, those pitfalls keep you down.

9.) Make sure s/he has friends

Yes, your child, even at 5 months, needs a social life! Interaction with other children, with other adults (not related) is so important. I cannot begin to explain to you the blessing it has been to watch my son's relationships with his friends grow and magnify before my eyes. And to watch how calm and comfortable he is with other adults. I love it. He has already had his first "sleepover" at a friends home at 2 years old and I was so comfortable with him in the hands of my sweet friend. And he was so at ease there the whole time! Talk about a blessing! He sincerely loves his little friends and their mom's. It is the sweetest thing ever. I look forward to watching these relationships grow even more.

10.) Don't Compare What You Have

Or don't have, with others. You know that saying, "The one who dies with the most toys, wins?" It's a load of ~~crap~~ garbage. I say, "The one who dies knowing their Lord & Savior & is at peace, wins." Besides, what I learned in #9 up there? About making sure your child has friends? Another great point to that is, they can play with their friend's toys! There's this great concept called sharing and when you have play dates and such, it gives your child a wonderful opportunity to practice. ☺ I will admit, though, this has been very difficult for me because I do want to give my son everything. But it is so not possible. We do not have the money, even with great deals and consignment sales. Take into account the lack of space for storing all those toys and it would just be irresponsible on our part to buy him all that he (or I) wanted. And it's not like he lacks for anything. And wouldn't play dates with friends be absolutely boring if they all had the exact same things?! Besides that, I get my best ideas for Birthday and Christmas gifts by seeing what toys he plays with when he does go visiting. ☺

So, that about sums up what I have learned in the brief time I have been a Mom. I'm sure there will be lots more to add to this as my little man gets older and I bet you have some things you have learned that you could add to this list - so please share! I'd love to hear some of YOUR "words of wisdom!"

Until then, I am...

Counting it all joy,
Angela

2012 - The Year of Sickness?

2012-01-09T22:27:00.001-05:00

What is up with this year all ready? I know it isn't just my family, as I catch up with family and friends and complete strangers online via Facebook and blogs and see so many postings about being sick. First I got bronchitis, then my husband had a stomach bug, then my son started coughing and started spiking a fever, then the stomach bug hit me. Friends are sick, their kids are sick, people I don't know are sick. Good gracious! All I have to say is, let it be done with this month for the entire year! {Can I get an AMEN?!}

Thank God for a great ending to 2011. I had a wonderful Christmas with my Mom and Dad who came down from Buffalo, NY to spend the holidays with us. Such a fantastic week. And even though our home is a 1200 square foot apartment, it just felt right having them here with us. It was perfect. ☺

On top of that, my adorable son helped us to win a Kindle Fire! Yes, you read that right, a FREE Kindle Fire! Woo Hoo!! Half Off Depot was having a contest called "Share The Love" and was asking their fans to post a video talking about how much you love them so I decided, why not? I can look goofy online in front of a bunch of strangers. So I logged onto our web camera after writing up a super cheesy poem about how much I LOVE Half Off Depot and hit record. Well, Lucas had to join in on the fun. (He loves looking at himself on the computer screen.) Here is our winning entry:

Share The Love

Now, Lucas is only 2 and a half so believe me, there was no coaxing on my part, he was just his normal, cute self. ☺

The other good news, despite the sickness that has engulfed this house is, I just booked our free cruise today! Yay! My hubby and I are celebrating our 10-year anniversary on July 27th this year and are cruising the week of Thanksgiving on board the Monarch of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. It is a free cruise, thanks to all the points we racked up on our RCCL credit card. So excited! A little nervous too, as we will be leaving Lucas with my Mom this time around. (We cruised in January 2011 with him.) This is our anniversary gift to each other so we said no kids!

At any rate, I end with a few happy photos from Christmas and the New Year.

At the UT Botanical Gardens to go see the train exhibit.

At Dollywood!

All the trains, animals and Francesco are asleep!

All my "boys" playing army men.

At the park on December 31st.

Passed out with his kitty, Tubby.

Making macaroni for mommy on his kitchen play set.

Happy New Year!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

I Did It!!

2011-12-19T15:41:00.000-05:00

I said I would and I so did!!

I made/re-purposed an end table that I found at Goodwill into a kitchen play set for my son for Christmas. Yep, I rock. I seriously kick mommy booty. ;) And this thing is CUTE! I cannot wait to see his face on Christmas morning when he walks out of his room, into the dining room/living room and sees his big gift. I am BEAMING as I type this, I am so excited! (Is it Saturday yet?!)

Okay, I am just as excited to reveal it to "all" of you! So, here it is!

Ahhhhhh!!! I am so in love with this thing! Here is "the process" I went through to make it so darn adorable! ☺

I primed then painted the table with "Soft Blueberry."

Then added this super cute valance that I found at Goodwill. I just used our electric staple gun and attached it to the underside. I have a basket that we will store some of his pots, pans & play food that he is getting for Christmas under there.

Next my husband added the back - which is this super extra heavy duty cardboard he got from work and then the cute knick knack rack that I found at KARM (another type of Goodwill store we have here). We also added the oven door (also made of heavy cardboard - trying to be ever so frugal!) and some hooks on the side for pot holders and oven mitts.

I then painted on the burners and on the other side I added a small chalk board and a basket for the chalk and eraser.

Dave then added the faucet and I put in the "sink" and burner knobs. The faucet was at Big Lots for $8, the knobs and handle for the oven at Home Depot for 99 cents and the "sink" was 50 cents at Goodwill.

Inside the oven is a cooling rack from my kitchen stash. ☺

The finishing touches was a curtain and "window." The "window" is a sideways unfinished wooden sign I bought from Hobby Lobby for $1.99 and painted. I then affixed a picture of something I'D love to looking at while I did dishes. ;) I bought a dowel rod at Hobby Lobby for 59 cents and some decorative ends for $1.47 and found the "curtains" (tea towels) at Goodwill for $1.99.

Seriously, I think it is adorable!

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So, that's it. Another project that I found on Pinterest and I HAD to try and do myself. My husband thought I was crazy and wanted to just go out and buy a kitchen set for our son. But I insisted on making this ourselves. Once he started seeing my vision, he totally got into it. This will be part of the family for awhile, I do believe. And when it finally moves on to another family, well, I think they'll appreciate it that much more.

Have a Merry Christmas my beautiful friends!!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Christmas Cookies For All!

2011-12-11T13:53:00.001-05:00

Have I ever told you that I love to bake? I mean, seriously love to bake?! Especially at Christmas time. And cookies. Lots and lots of cookies. It's an obsession. Once I start, I can't stop. My poor husband. He puts his request in for 2 types of cookies and that's all he wants. Half a dozen other cookies later, he has his and we have enough cookies to feed the entire block. What can I say? I love to bake!

And then there's Pinterest. O.M.G. 4 of the recipes that I baked this year came off that site. And if I could, I'd be baking another 12. ~~hahahaha~~ Seriously. o_o So if you have any requests, send them in, but also send some money for postage and ingredients because, I may be nice, but I'm not made of money. ;) I wish I was, because if I WAS, I'd so send ALL of you cookies for Christmas at no charge. For shizzles for realz. (Sorry, the East Side of Buffalo gangsta in me started showing. Now back to the I grew up in Connecticut, was uprooted to Buffalo for my last 2 years of high school, survived 13 years of winters there and moved to good ole East Tennessee turned Southern but still a Yankee girl is back.)

Okay, moving on to the COOKIES!

The first two are my husband's yearly request. One was a childhood favorite and I found the recipe again for him in an Amish-Mennonite cookbook I bought at the Erie County Fair years ago. They are Monster Cookies. If you have never had Monster Cookies, they are delish! Full of oats, peanut butter, M&M's and chocolate chips. It truly is a monster of a cookie!

Monster Cookies

3 eggs, beaten 4 ½ cups oatmeal

1 cup brown sugar ½ cup chocolate chips

1 cup white sugar ½ cup M&M’s candy

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon pancake syrup

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ cup butter

1 ½ cups peanut butter

Cream the first 8 ingredients. Add oatmeal, chocolate chips, and M&M’s last. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. Do not over bake. Makes 4 ½ dozen.

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The next cookie that is a Christmas MUST is the Potato Chip Cookie. You are probably thinking, Potato Chip?! Yes, potato chip. There are potato chips in this cookie which is one of the reasons that make them so darn addicting! I also got this recipe from the Amish-Mennonite cookbook. (Those Amish sure know how to bake!) Once you try this cookie, I guarantee you that it will be added to one of your favorite must-have's every year. It isn't a "Christmas Cookie," per se, but it just happens to be one that we only bake this time of year. Why that is, I have no idea. It has just become one of our traditions.

Potato Chip Cookies

1 cup Shortening

1 cup Brown Sugar

1 cup Granulated Sugar

2 well-beaten eggs

2 cups Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

2 cups potato chips, crushed (with ridges are best)

1 package Butterscotch chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs, then flour and baking soda which have been sifted together. Add potato chips, butterscotch chips and vanilla. Shape into walnut-sized balls and bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes 2 1/2 - 3 dozen.

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Now moving on to the new recipes that I made this year thanks to Pinterest. This first one, Candy Cane Snowballs, I made mainly because I had a box full of mini candy canes that I had to do something with. I love peppermint but don't usually just sit down and enjoy a candy cane. Just not my thing. Sorry. But this recipe that came from Stolen Moments Cooking was perfect! I will tell you one thing, though: READ the DIRECTIONS. The true Polish in me came shining through like a bright beacon of light proclaiming the good news to all that our Savior had come! Oh, sorry, got distracted. What I was trying to say is, it says to us 3 cups of powdered sugar, DIVIDED. Then in the directions, it says to beat 1 and a half cups of the powdered sugar in the first step. This Pollock beat the full 3 cups. DOH! Thankfully, they still turned out delicious, but I ended up omitting the 4th step for fear of going into a diabetic coma. I hope this public service announcement helps you not make the same mistake I made. ;) Oh, and you'll see that mine don't exactly look like "snowballs." That's what happens when you put 3 cups of powdered sugar in the mix instead of just 1 and a half. Ah well.

The top photo is what they will look like when you bake them correctly. ☺

The bottom photo is when you don't follow directions. ☺

Candy Cane Snowballs

3 c. powdered sugar, divided

1 1/4 c butter, softened

2 t. vanilla (or if you’d prefer a stronger peppermint flavor, you can replace 1 t. of vanilla with a teaspoon of peppermint extract)

1 egg

3 c. flour

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

3/4 c. finely crushed candy canes, divided

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2-3 T. milk

1. In a mixing bowl, beat 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg and beat until combined.

2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Slowly add to mixing bowl, beating until combined, about 1 minute. Stir 1/2 cup finely crushed candy canes in by hand.

3. Roll dough into small balls using just under a teaspoon of dough. Rolls balls through granulated sugar to coat and place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool.

4. While cookies bake, stir together remaining 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar with 2-3 T. of milk. Add just enough milk to form a thick glaze. Drizzle over cooled cookies and top with remaining crushed candy canes immediately.

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The second Pinterest find is another peppermint recipe called Peppermint Cheesecake Cookies. (It was a BIG box of mini candy canes!) It is also from Stolen Moments Cooking - she has some amazing cookie recipes! This recipe is short and sweet but be warned, these cookies look anything but appetizing. LOL They are flat and chewy but that is how they are supposed to come out. (Which is a good thing I knew this already, or else I would've thought I had ruin the recipe.... again!) And word to the wise: Do NOT use wax paper. Just use Aluminum Foil. Trust me. ☺

Peppermint Cheesecake Cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 c. sugar

1 c. flour

1/3 c. finely crushed candy cane pieces (about 5 candy canes)

1. Beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and beat to incorporate. By hand, stir in the crushed candy cane pieces.

2. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on foil or parchment lined cookie sheets. Make sure to leave enough room between the cookies because they will spread quite a bit while they bake.

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are set. Cool completely on cookie sheets before removing.

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Now this next cookie is called Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies. When I saw this cookie on Pinterest I was drooling. It looked so yummy and then I read the instructions and knew I had to try to make them. I got the recipe from Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen. They take a few steps and don't make a ton of cookies so you may have to double the batch if you plan to share. (Sorry, I am not sharing these! LOL) They are moist and scrumptious and if you like chocolate and peanut butter, I highly recommend making this cookie. So worth it!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together sugars, butter and 1/4 cup of peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg, beating to combine. Stir in the flour mixture and stir to combine, blending well. Set aside.

4. In a medium bowl, mix together powdered sugar and remaining 3/4 cup of peanut butter until smooth.

5. Pull off a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough and flatten with your hands. Take about 1 teaspoon of peanut butter mixture and place it in the center of the chocolate dough. Wrap the chocolate dough around the peanut butter center, pressing to seal. Roll the cookie into a ball and roll the cookie in the sugar. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass, flatten each cookie to about a 1/2 inch thickness.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes. Let stand on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.

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This next recipe is deemed more of a "springtime" recipe but my husband has a large German heritage and in Germany, one of the Christmas traditions is to get oranges in your stocking. So I figure, Orange Creamsicle Cookies are okay for Christmastime!

I got this recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything (you can't go wrong with a blog called that, now can you?!). Just the smell of the fresh grated orange zest is to die for! These are so yummy! Definitely another keeper!

Orange Creamsicle Cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 firmly packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons orange zest (for me that was the zest of 2 oranges)

2 cups Guitard Choc-Au-Lait Vanilla Chips (I used store-brand white chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture until combined. Stir in orange zest and chips.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Do not flatten cookies; it will make them dry. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Do not overcook! Cookies will be plump. Cool for several minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

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Last, but certainly not least, are my infamous Kentucky Bourbon Balls. These are a MUST each Christmas, because what would Christmas be without some Bourbon in a cookie?! It just wouldn't be Christmas, that's what! The unfortunate thing is, I have no photo yet because I still have to whip these babies up but once I make them, I'll post a pic for one and all to see.

Until then, here is the recipe. Remember to pour yourself a glass of Bourbon along with the making of the Bourbon Balls. With or without ice or a mixer. I won't judge. ;)

Kentucky Bourbon Balls

Mix 1 box (9 ounces) chocolate wafers, crushed into crumbs, with ½ pound finely chopped pecans, 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, and ¼ cup sugar. Stir in ½ cup light corn syrup and 1/3 cup bourbon (or more). Shape into ¼” balls and roll in chocolate sprinkles. Store in refrigerator. Makes 5 dozen.

Here's to a very Merry Christmas full of lots of stretchy pants! ☺

Counting it all joy,

Angela

She Has The Sweetest Smile

2011-12-08T09:04:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of photographing my sweet friend's daughter the other day. She is such a little bundle of cuteness! We were trying to get Christmas photos in front of the tree and the only way she would stand near it was by bribing her with Nutter Butters. Unfortunately, she would eat the cookies but not look at me. She was so on to us! LOL

So we took the party upstairs to her playroom where we knew she'd be more relaxed. It was such fun!

You have to love the enthusiasm! ☺

We moved on to some group photos and I loved photographing this family. Not only are they friends but they are just beautiful together! Such a sweet bunch. I ♥ 'em!

It was a great afternoon and we even saw a little snow falling outside. (That's exciting down here in Tennessee!)

Counting it all joy,

Angela

I Am Thankful...

2011-11-24T16:20:00.000-05:00

For

Little boys that strip off their clothes, destroy their rooms & can still make their mommy smile all in less than an hour - the time when they are supposed to be taking a nap.

Flowers. Flowers. Flowers.

New Friends & a Beautiful Ministry.

Creating new memories with friends and our children.

Joyful Silliness.

Simon and The Farm.

M&M's.

Crafts... and Pinterest!

My son & his friends.

Young Love. ♥

Football with my boys.

PEP Moms. ♥

This smile. This little boy. Good or bad. I love him and am so thankful for him!

Counting it all joy, each and every day,

Angela

Need A Great Christmas Gift?

2011-11-18T17:04:00.018-05:00

How about a truly unique gift that a Grandparent would really appreciate? A personalized gift that says, "I put a lot of love and thought into your present?" I have the perfect gift idea! (And, no, I'm not talking about my Angela's Heartwork, but those are fantastic, too!)

Canvas Wall Art

Like this:

This is an 8x10 canvas print from Canvas People. This photo was taken in January of this year aboard the cruise ship we were on. It is one of my favorites and is just a sweet memory. I love having it on canvas. ☺

I also have this piece on canvas:

It is one of my "Heartworks." It is also my favorite Max Lucado quotes. The coloring is due to the lighting that I have on the print. I really thing putting this particular photo on canvas just enhanced the beauty of the photograph. I absolutely adore this piece and have received many compliments on it. I ♥ Canvas People and want YOU to love them, too!

I mean, is there a better family gift idea than putting a photo on canvas and gifting it to a loved one? It's like giving them a piece of art rather than just a photograph. The two pieces above are 8x10's and I love them. I also have an 11x14. I love the 11x14.

The quote is my favorite from Sheila Walsh.

It is not currently available in my Etsy shop but if there is interest, I may add it.

I hung it in my bedroom, above my chest of drawers. Did I mention that I love it? ♥

I want YOU to enjoy one of these canvases, too. So here is the offer I have for you, my beautiful readers! A free, yes FREE 8x10 OR $55 Off Larger sizes (just pay shipping & handling). You download the photo of your choice and you have the perfect holiday gift. Just click on the link below and it'll take you where you need to go! Or follow the link to the right. It'll be up for you to use at your leisure. It's a fantastic offer! And keep an eye out as new offers will appear regularly. This is a limited time offer, what with "Black Friday" coming up and all. ☺

Canvas People Special Offer

Believe me, I would not be telling you about Canvas People if I did not honestly believe they made quality products. And you cannot tell me the price isn't right. ;) So, go, click & order some Christmas gifts! And then come back here and comment on how much you LOVE the canvas! ♥♥

Counting it all joy,

Angela

A Retreat For Healing

2011-11-17T19:04:00.000-05:00

The first weekend of November I had the privilege to once again take photos at a Ruah Touch Ministry Retreat. This time, however, it was a Married Couples Retreat in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. The photo above? That was our view every day. Amazing. But not nearly as amazing as the grace of God that was wrapped around our cabin that weekend.

Ruah Touch is a ministry for women who have experienced miscarriages and/or stillbirths. This is a deep, personal, heartbreaking time in a person's life. Whether this happened two months or twenty years ago, the pain is deep and real. Men and women walk in feeling as if they are healed but wanting to become a part of the ministry so they know they need to experience the retreat. Oh the things God does!

I am not going to discuss the things that happened with the participants, that is all so personal and very confidential. That is something I want anyone reading this to understand. I am here to encourage you, if you have experienced this pain or know someone who has, to read MY side of the story and pass on the information.

Ruah Touch Ministries has given me a family. I walk in as the photographer, there to capture precious moments of the retreat. I participate in other capacities - mostly praying and just being there for the participants. A friendly smile, encouraging word, a gentle hug. Whatever God wants from me.

Then something happens.

God speaks to MY heart. He whispers to my soul. The word that is being spoken to the participants hits a chord with me. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it is freeing. All the time it is God.

The healing that is "meant" for the participants falls upon me. The freedom that I didn't know I needed, is given. God is amazing.

The weekend goes on. The participants connect with the teaching, they grasp it, they gain understanding, they embrace true healing. Tears are shed but there is also so much joy and laughter. There truly is a "time for every season."

Is God good? No, God is GREAT.

I have walked in to both Ruah Touch retreats expecting to bless others but always, ALWAYS God has used the time to bless ME tenfold. I think, "I am not worthy, Lord." And He whispers, "My child, you are."

YOU are worthy. Worthy to be healed. To have the pieces of your heart mended by the Lord. I encourage you, if you have been broken by miscarriage or stillbirth, to pray about attending a Ruah Touch Retreat in 2012. If you can go as a couple, DO IT. Believe it or not, your husband needs healing, too. If you need to go alone, go to the women's retreat.

Take the time to be with the Lord and sister's in Christ who love you and are there to lift you up. Many of the leaders have been through miscarriages and/or stillbirths. We all have testimonies. The most important thing you need to know is: We truly, honestly care about you and your child(ren).

Take a look at their website: Ruah Touch Ministries

If you have any questions that aren't answered on the website, please email me and I'll direct you in the right direction: angelasheartwork@yahoo.com

Counting it all joy,

Angela

200th Post!

2011-11-17T14:31:00.000-05:00

Woah, my 200th Posting AND a cute little project I just completed! Yay!

So, as many of you know, I am a Pinterest Addict. I don't want help, though, so no intervention is needed. I am also a Hobby Lobby addict. Intervention MAY be needed there, however. ☺ I found a GREAT deal on 11x14 canvases. I got a pack of 2 for $7.99 plus 40% off with my handy dandy coupon. Score!

What to do with them. I have lots of ideas running through my mind. I finally decided on this little project. Here is how it went...

Found the saying that I wanted and added stickers that I had bought from the dollar store and from Hobby Lobby. {Unfortunately I ran out of letters for mine and my hubby's name... doh!}

Then I covered it with free paint - yep FREE! Gotta love the freebies from the likes of Glidden and such! Keep your eyes peeled to their websites for when they offer freebies. Even if you live in an apartment, such as myself, you can use the paint for craft projects. It's great! ☺

Let the paint set for a few minutes but don't let it dry completely. Carefully remove the stickers.

It'll look something like this. It didn't come out as "clean" as I wanted it too, plus the "K" in Knoxville came off at some point so I knew I'd have to fix that. Instead of leaving it white as planned, I decided I'd just fill in the white with paint. So I let it dry completely and painted in the white with different colors.

Here is the finished piece! The paint used, minus the orange, was either free or only cost me $1. The orange was from my son's stash. ☺ I used a permanent marker to write in my and my hubby's name. Not sure if I will keep it that way or not. If I decide to change it, I can just paint over it and do over. No biggie.

Total cost: Under $4

Stay tuned as I have a great posting coming up either this weekend or early next week! There will be an amazing offer for all my readers/followers! And I may just be working on a giveaway - just in time for Christmas! So go tell all your friends to start following me - get ready!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Super Easy Pumpkin Cookies

2011-11-08T09:48:00.000-05:00

First, I will apologize for the long lapse in postings. My computer's power supply died on me and I was without internet for 2 weeks. It was horrible. Well, it was. But it was also a little refreshing. I CAN live without the internet, even though it was very difficult. The biggest issue was getting online to check orders from my Etsy shop. That's kind of a big deal. ☺

Anyways! I did get to bake a lot while doing without. And this recipe that I am going to share with you is AWESOME. Seriously. You will THANK ME for it. Especially if you like pumpkin. And it is Fall and Thanksgiving for us Americans here is right around the corner. So without further adieu, here it is:

1, 15 oz. can of pumpkin

1 box of cake mix, any flavor

1, 12 oz. bag of mini chocolate chips

STOP.

That's it. Or, if you are like me and want more of a pumpkin pie flavor, add a few dashes of Pumpkin Pie Spice.

Mix it all up really good.

Yum!

Scoop onto a cookie tray and bake at 350 degrees for 20-23 minutes. (Yes, you read that right!) The cookies really do not spread, so don't worry about that.

Let cool, then enjoy!!

They are seriously delicious! And soooo easy! I think, next time I make them, I will use a Spice Cake mix. Doesn't that just sound divine?!

Go ahead, drool! Now go get baking!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

A Little Of This

2011-10-03T13:00:00.000-04:00

And a little of that... yes, that has been the past week or so. I finally found my son's Christmas gift! Woo Hoo! Now I need to get working on it. I have a, what, almost 3 months to get it done, right? Here is my "score:"

$20 from KARM (basically our local version of Goodwill).

You may be thinking, "Huh?! A gift for your 2 year old son?" Heehee I'm going to transform it into a kitchen play set for him. Just wait. You will be AMAZED. ☺ I am super excited to get started on it. My poor husband thinks it is going to cost us more than just buying him one. He doesn't understand how much JOY I am going to get out of creating this gift for our son. He'll see when it is all said and done. And I will so be sharing it with all of you, I promise!

Anyways, check out this super cute idea I tweaked! I, of course, found it on Pinterest, but I had to make it cuter.

The Pinterest Version:

{Originally from Storage and Glee}

My over the top cute version:

And the other fun project I have been working on was making a place for my son to play with his magnetic letters. Yes, he can play with them on the fridge but the problem with that is, he likes to push them all off and shove them under the fridge. Augh. So I bought an aluminum casserole dish from Goodwill for 50 cents and painted it.

I looked for a cookie sheet but couldn't find one but thought this was perfect, since they can all be stored in the pan and go up the sides. It works!

The last thing I will share with you has no photos, but believe me, you will want to try it! If you have a George Foreman, you must use it!

You will need:

1 large soft tortilla

Creamy Peanut Butter

Nutella

1 Banana

Take the peanut butter and slather some on the tortilla. Layer some delicious Nutella goodness on top of that. Slice up the banana on top of that layer of ooey deliciousness. Roll up the tortilla like a burrito. Place on a heated George Foreman. Cook until the outside has a nice brown coloring.

Be sure to have a napkin handy! Enjoy the warm, ooey gooey deliciousness!

Have a beautiful week my friends!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Struggles & A Lifeverse

2011-09-23T14:24:00.000-04:00

"Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything."

~ 2 Corinthians 6:10

It hasn't been the easiest of years for me and my family. The past few weeks have been a bit trying, too. Just when things seem to be going well and we seem to be moving two steps forward, we get pushed three steps back. We always seem to be straining to push ahead. It is very tiring.

I will share with you my biggest struggle, what presses hardest on my heart: My husband's rejection of the Lord. He says God has turned His back on him, that if He was a truly loving God, He would not allow so much pain. It all started after his Dad passed away in March of 2008. It steadily went downhill. It got steadily worse this past year when he finally admitted to me how angry he was at God. It broke my heart.

I don't see it that way. As much struggle and pain that I have experienced, I feel as if I have grown closer to the Lord through it all. When I first became a follower of Christ, one of the young adult leaders at the church I was attending gave me a key chain that had an image of an elephant clinging to a tiny limb by his trunk. On it was written, "Count it all joy." That scripture (James 1:2) has never left me. That is my lifeverse. It isn't always easy to live it, but JOY is a choice. It's on my living room wall as a daily reminder: Today I will choose joy.

God did not promise us a life free of pain but He did promise to be with us through it all. He promised to carry our burdens, but we have to give them to Him. It is a relationship with the Lord, a give and take, not a take, take, take. It isn't going to be easy but is the end going to be worth it? I say yes! Rejoicing in heaven at the feet of my savior! So worth it!

Reflect on this: Was it easy for Mary to accept the responsibility of carrying God's child, His son, as a virgin, raising him, caring for him, loving him and then watching him face the ridicule, rejection, and torture that he had to endure in order for us, for me, for you to be saved? No. It broke her heart. I am sure it tore her up inside and if she could have, she would have taken his place. (She was a mom, after all.) But in the end, knowing all the he said, all the he promised, was true, was it worth it? Yes!

How do I explain this to my husband who is so angry? So bitter? So hurt? I can't. I can pray for him. And I do. And then there's our son. Our sweet precious little boy.

He learned the words to "Jesus Loves Me," when he and I went to church while visiting my parents in New York. After one nursery visit at our old church (Kenmore Alliance how I miss you!) my son was singing Jesus Loves Me. Talk about melting my heart. ♥ When we got back home to Knoxville, I asked him to sing it for his daddy and he did. So now he sings it A LOT. So daddy has no choice but to sing it with him. These little things will be big things I believe.

Thanks for listening my friends. Joy is a wonderful thing. Do not let anyone take that from you. It is a gift from God and it is a choice - you either choose to be joyful or you choose to let others take your joy from you.

My lifeverse is "Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy." ~James 1:2

What's your's?

Counting it all joy,

Angela

{And this brings me joy - my son giving his "girlfriend" a goodbye kiss!}

Butterflies & Feet

2011-09-10T17:58:00.000-04:00

Yes, they have a connection! And they are the 2 sweetest things ever! Just wait, you'll see!

So I bought this for $2.50 at Goodwill a week or so ago:

If you read my blog you know that it was part of a set which I "re-purposed." I was itching to get my hands on this bugger, too, as was my 2 and a half year old. (He loves to paint!) I wanted to do something different so first, I painted over the entire thing. I thought about doing some checkerboard kind of thing and didn't like how it was turning out so I ended up painting over THAT. (You'll see what I'm talking about when I show you the next few photos.)

Anyways ~ ! While staring mindlessly at Pinterest one evening, I came across the cutest project that I knew I would do with my son. It was a must because I love butterflies (they are all over the master bedroom) and my son loves 'em too for that matter. Plus, it involved paint which is always a plus with my little man. To add a cherry to the top of all this, it involved painting a body part! WOAH! Oh yeah. This was going to be fun!

Lucas always has to add some extra paint to the entire body. ☺

We practiced a little to make sure the feet looked great!

And he decorated Mommy a little, too!

Our super cute feet on canvas! Looks a little like butterflies... but not quite!

That's better! ♥

And a few others that we made for practice!

Are these not just too precious?!

Such a fantastic project and great way to re-purpose a picture that was inexpensive and had no personal value. Now, we have a precious painting that we will cherish forever! It is now hanging proudly in our master bedroom!

Here is the "official" before and after! Please share with me what you think! And of course, if you do this project, too!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Shaving Cream, Be Nice And Clean

2011-09-08T14:24:00.000-04:00

♫♪ Shave everyday and you'll always look keen! ♪♫

Or just have fun with it by adding some food coloring like this:

And letting your little one go crazy like this:

And all you need is this:

And of course something to put the shaving cream in. I used a silicone muffin pan which works great but if you don't have one, I'd say any non-breakable container will work. ☺

I will say that this particular brand of shaving cream smells very manly so if you use it with a little girl, she may want to wash off with some strawberry wash or something more girly smelling. LOL

My son loves this and the body wash "paint" we did so we mix it up for him. Not sure which one is actually less expensive, but both are ~~cheaper~~ more frugal than buying bath paints in the store.

Happy Bath Time!

Counting it all joy,
Angela

It's Cute But...

2011-09-03T11:32:00.001-04:00

I have been itching to do something crafty lately. I am sure it's because I keep getting on Pinterest and finding all these amazing ideas and sayings and such and I just want to DO something creative. SIGH. If anyone feels bad for me and wants to send us some money, I will happily supply you with my mailing address. Just send me an email. ☺

Anyways! I decided to ~~drag~~ gather up my son and head to the Goodwill store to see if they might have something I could re-purpose. {I will let you in on a little secret, so, shhhh, don't tell the 2 year old. I am looking for a night stand or end table to re-purpose into a kitchen play set. Seriously. I'm not forking over a bunch of money for a plastic one that is overpriced. Not after I've seen what can be done to an old, dingy night stand! Yesssss, on Pinterest!)

Okay, back to Goodwill! I came across these really cute canvas prints:

Now, I'm sure some of you are wondering "What are you going to do to these adorable paintings?" Let me tell you, they were $2.50 each and that is less than most canvases at Hobby Lobby, Jo-Ann's, Michael's, etc. And they are the good canvas, all heavy duty and such. Lucas and I were going home to have some painting fun! ☺

If you saw my other post, you know I had to add some saying to the picture, so that is what I did:

This should be interesting. What will it look like after Lucas gets through with it? Hmmm...

He always has fun when he gets to paint! ☺ And I love seeing him so happy.

Here is what it looks like after HE was done:

The stickers need to be peeled off and Mommy here needs to add a little final touch.

Without further adieu, here is the Before and After:

Not sure what we are going to do with the other one yet. May cover it with fabric. May paint it. We shall see what inspiration I gather from, yes, Pinterest. LOL

Leave a comment, let me know what you think! ♥♥♥

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Ooey Gooey Easiness!

2011-09-02T14:09:00.000-04:00

I have this addiction.

It doesn't have a cure.

Well, it does, but I refuse to be cured.

It's called "Pinning," but it doesn't hurt. In fact, it feels glorious! Absolutely. Positively. Beautifully. GLORIOUS. Oh, and addicting. Did I mention Addiction?

Anyways, I came across this pin for this super easy treat. I tweaked it, though. I had to because I have another little, teeny, tiny, addiction.

Nutella.

Hazelnut spread.

Whatever is CHEAPER.

(By the way, Pinterest has a pin on how to MAKE YOUR OWN! I'll see if it's cheaper, then I'm SO doing it if it is! HA!)

Anyways, back to my Ooey Gooey Easiness.

For some reason my "little friend" seems to making her rounds a lot lately. You know who I'm talking about ladies. She is so unwelcome. Well, most of the time. I wish she wouldn't come but she's that happy little reminder that Yay! No surprise in 9 months for me! Woo Hoo! But she's also annoying as all get out! Geesh. A no-win situation if you ask me. But anyways, where was I? Oh, yeah... THIS -

Yummy. Ooey. Gooey. EASY.

Here's what you need:

Seriously. That is it.

Here's what you do:

Layer on some creamy peanut butter.

Then slather on some delicious Nutella.

Then roll 'em up & put them in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes.

When all is said and done, you have ooey gooey easiness!

The only problem with this recipe is: Refraining from eating all of them in one sitting. So easy to do. They taste the best all warm and fresh from the oven but are still delicious if you warm them in the microwave for about 10-12 seconds. ☺

Enjoy my beautiful friends!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Driving Mr. Lucas

2011-08-26T16:18:00.000-04:00

I took my first trip to Buffalo, NY with only my son 2 weeks ago. Usually my husband drives us to Columbus, OH where we meet my mom who then drives us to Buffalo. But since we have 2 cars now (we love hand me down vehicles!) we decided that as long as I felt comfortable driving the 12 hours to Buffalo with just me and my 2 year old, then I would do it alone.

Crazy? Perhaps. Adventurous? Totally.

We've been taking our son on road trips ever since he was born, so it wasn't that big of a deal. Figure, he did fantastic in the car ride from Miami, FL to Knoxville, TN in January. And THAT was a 14 hour drive. Granted, I was in the backseat with him. Nevertheless, I had faith. And we had a DVD player and lots of videos.

Well, we had barely made it into Kentucky when my sweet child got car sick. Understand that his movie had stopped and I was waiting for the rest area to put a new one in. So during this time he was watching all the cars and trucks. He had to have been getting so dizzy! I remember looking in the rearview mirror and just seeing pure discomfort on his face and then he just threw up. AUGH. Milk and Apple Jacks. Yuck. I had to pull over on the I-75 North to clean him up. If I was tired, the smell of sour milk surely woke this Momma up!

Once I got him cleaned up as best as I could, the plan was to pull over at the next exit and get some air freshener. Wouldn't luck have it, the exit I choose there is an accident? What the heck?! I manage to get around it and find a gas station. We get in, use the bathroom and go in search of air freshener - anything to make the car smell better. While walking the aisles, Lucas grabs the biggest packet of M&M's he could carry. Whatever. If it makes you feel better, have 'em! By the grace of God I find Febreeze. Who cares that the thing costs almost $5. I need to be able to breathe for the next 10 hours. We pay for our goods and head for the car.

Before I even let my sweet child in, I spray his seat down and every piece of fabric I could find. If I got pulled over they probably would've thought I was covering up an illegal substance smell, not sour milk puke. Thankfully, the smell is GONE! Hallelujah! We get buckled in, put on another movie and resume the long drive north.

I am happy to report that was the only incident we had. I also learned how to change out the movie in the DVD player while driving. Not very safe, but it was effective.

The rancid smell of puke was a great way to keep one awake, though. Maybe I should bottle that smell and market it as a "stay awake and alert" product. It's better than No-Doz. hahahahaha

My son sporting my new southern sun hat that I got at the Fair in New York.

Ain't he the cutest?

♥ Bless his heart. ♥

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Random Facts About Moi

2011-08-25T10:33:00.002-04:00

I am borrowing this idea from a sweet friend of mine. It is 10am and I am still tired. It's been a long week and I have lots I want to share with you but at the moment, I have no energy. With that said, I am going to share some random, fun facts with you! (I know you are excited!) So sit back and enjoy getting to know a side of me you may or may not want to know about! ;)

I started writing poetry when I was 9 years old. To date, I have 490, not including some really bad "songs" that I wrote during my 80's hair band days.

I refused to get my hair cut after a hairdresser cut my bangs too short when I was 13 years old. I went a good 15 years or so before I let anyone come near me with scissors. (Not counting my mom, who only cut the back, NEVER my bangs.)

My lifeverse is James 1 verse 2, "Count it all joy." And one day I will get that tattooed on either the inside of my right foot or my wrist.

Speaking of James, that entire book of the Bible is my favorite. I could read it daily and find something new that inspires me.

When I was little, I used to eat chicken tummies, livers and hearts with my Dad. I still LOVE fried chicken livers. (And I grew up in Southeastern Connecticut!)

I am a PROUD Navy brat. Do not mess with our Military. Do not mess with our Vets.

I met my husband in an AOL Christian Chat room. He lived in Tennessee and I lived in New York. We have been married for 9 years.

I still sleep with a twin size flat sheet that I have had since I was a girl. (We have a king-sized bed.) I love the way the edging of the sheet feels. It comforts me and I cannot part with it.

My son melted my heart a few Sunday's ago when he broke out with "Jesus Loves Me" at the dinner table. He is 2 years old and he is my little sunshine.

I am addicted to Pinterest. Seriously, I could pin for hours but I don't have the time. I have made quite a few dishes and crafts from the things I have found on this site. I love it. The craft ideas, the meal ideas, the dream kitchens and gardens. SIGH.

If I knew what my last meal was going to be, it would be lobster, chicken finger sub, peanut butter m&m's, blueberry almonds, a coco loco, and Extreme Cookie Crumble Ice Cream. And I would pray I could eat ALL of it.

I have a scar on my left knee from when I was 5 and running on the curb while waiting for the school bus. My mom told me not to run on it because I would get hurt. I didn't believe her. Then I fell and really tore up my knee. She took me in the house, cleaned me up (you could see my BONE!), put a band-aid on me and sent me to school. I should've listened to my mom. (She should've taken me to get stitches!) SIGH. Lesson learned - don't run on the curb. LOL

I became a follower of Jesus at the age of 23. Best decision of my life. I've strayed, but He never has. I want more of Him. I need more of Him. ♥

Feel free to share some of YOUR random facts in the comment section. I would love to hear some of yours.

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Comfort & Joy, Instead of Sorrow

2011-08-10T14:11:00.001-04:00

This past weekend I had the joy of being surrounded by a group of amazing women. It was an indescribable weekend of God-led moments. It was a time that I needed to grow in my own faith but also to step outside of my comfort zone. I walked into a cabin in the woods to be surrounded by women I had either never met or had only met once. This was me walking in faith. Me trusting in God's path for my life. Maybe this walk was only for a weekend, maybe it is for a time longer than I am to know at this moment. But God knows.

I shared my heart, things that were weighing so heavily inside me with a group of ladies that are filled with the Lord. It was freeing for me and this retreat was not even for me. God is so good!

No stories that were shared this past weekend will be revealed as they are personal. I will tell you that it was such a gift for me and so humbling to be able to be a part of each ladies story. To lose a child, to lose more than one. I cannot fathom. People tend to look at miscarriage as something that just happened. A "non event." As if you were never pregnant, you were never a mother if your child never "came to be" in the eyes of other people. Oh, that breaks my heart. If you could have been a fly on the wall at this cabin, to have heard and seen the heartache, you would have a different perspective.

The moment a woman becomes pregnant, I truly believe they become a mother. When you find out you are expecting, you begin to love this child. God has given you as a woman this special gift of nurturing and tenderness and it is just inborn in you. You have a heart of tenderness, of compassion, of protection, of strength for this baby. It is something that does not quickly leave you after you miscarry. Why should it? You are still a mother.

Complete healing can only come from the Lord. We are just stewards of Him. We all play an intricate part in His grand plan for each persons life. Some of our parts are small, some of our parts are big. No matter what part we play, it is important. As long as the part you are participating in is blessed by the Lord, it will reap a bountiful harvest in HIS time. I love each and every lady I met this past weekend. If our paths never pass again, then our season together was a short one. But I know that one day we will all meet again in Heaven where we will stand together praising our Savior and rejoicing at all that He has done for us.

Thank you Lord for all your many blessings!

Counting it all joy,
Angela

Today It Was For Him

2011-08-01T13:19:00.000-04:00

And for me. Because, to be honest, I really wanted to do this project, too!

My new addiction is Pinterest. If you haven't heard of it, I totally understand. It was new to me, too, but once I started figuring it all out, I became an ADDICT. I love it. No more kazillion bookmarks for me - just have it all saved on Pinterest, PLUS the added bonus of finding a ton of amazing ideas I never would've seen if I hadn't been staring mindlessly at my computer screen. ☺

That is where I found this idea. The funny thing is, there is a "pin" on Pinterest that says something like Pinterest being a place where you'll never do the crafty/DIY things you pin, but I have done so many already! And it also says you'll never bake/cook the recipes you pin, which is a bunch of bunk, too, because I've made a bunch since joining a month ago. So take that naysayers!

Anyways, here is the uber-cute project my son Lucas and I did today. I love it.

I had purchased the canvas at Joann Fabrics awhile back and was waiting to use it. On Pinterest, they had used a quote that said "With all our hearts." Sweet, but not what I was going for in our house. So if you decide to do this project yourself, I say, choose a saying that suits you and your family the best. ♥

Here's what we did to get the end result:

Wall Stickers from the Dollar Tree - $1. Score!

Place the quote/saying you want on the canvas.

Let your little one go to town painting all over the thing! ☺

He was very excited! He loves to paint & anytime that Mommy says we are going to paint he just can't wait.

And you have to get a little paint on yourself, ya know!

After you are all done painting the canvas and all over the stickers, carefully remove the stickers from the canvas and let the piece dry completely. (I lifted each sticker with a knife but that's because I have no nails.)

A homemade piece of artwork that we will cherish for a lifetime! And a special reminder for us to "choose joy" each and every day.

Counting it all joy,

Angela

For My Future Daughter In Law

2011-07-26T16:15:00.000-04:00

This is my sweet boy and I love him with so much of me that it hurts sometimes. I received the prettiest journal for my birthday back in March from my longest friend Karen. We've known each other since before Kindergarten. We had to have been 4 years old when we met. I turned 35 in March. I have been contemplating what to do with the journal since I received it. I didn't want it to just sit empty but I wanted to do something special with it.

My son is 2 years old. (And some months... I'm not one of those moms that adds all the months up after he turns 2, sorry!) He has a bevy of friends, including many adorable little girls. Here are a few:

I mean, seriously? Are they all not just beautiful?!

So, of course, I am thinking that there is a good possibility (maybe, possibly, chance, slightly) that one of these sweet ladies will marry my little boy. ☺ And watching these girls grow up alongside my son I wanted them to know more about him. Especially if one of them is not the one he ends up marrying.

Thus begins my Journal for my Future Daughter-in-Law....

I talk about his obsession (trains), how loving he is, how friendly he is (he says HI to everyone!), how he adores animals, how Cars 2 was his first movie in the theater, etc. Here is an excerpt from one of my recent entries:

7-21-11

I was painting my toenails the other day & Lucas came up to me and said, "Lucas toes, too!" So I painted his toes. They are adorable! (And bright pink!)

Oh - and he doesn't like to put clothes on at night. Thank goodness we don't find him in bed in the morning stark naked.... yet. ☺

Love, Angela

If your soon-to-be Mother-in-law gave you a stack of journals as a wedding present, filled with entries about your soon-to-be-husband, would you appreciate it? Would you be thankful? Would you treasure it? Or would you think she was crazy? Obsessive?

I think I would've loved it. I would've understood the bond between my husband and his mom better. I would've understood my husband better and learned so much about him. Plus, I bet there would be things in there that he probably didn't even know. I pray I can keep the journal going until my sweet boy is no longer a boy. And if one of those beautiful girls above becomes my daughter in law, how blessed will I be?!

Maybe it'll be this one... ;)

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Pray Pray Pray

2011-07-21T15:43:00.002-04:00

I'd like to tell you about an amazing ministry that God has thrust upon me. You know how sometimes you are just minding your own business, going about your life and a friend asks a favor of you? You think, no big deal, I can do that? Well, my dear sweet friend Pam had asked a number of her friends if they would be willing to donate 14 items for gift bags for a retreat called Ruah Touch. I said sure! So I donated 14 of the photos you see above. All's done, right? God shook His head no and chuckled.

Pam came over one day and had some things on her heart and felt led to come speak to me. So we talked and then she asked me if I would be willing to take photographs at the Ruah Touch retreat in August. She was originally going to do it but she had just felt like she wasn't supposed to be in that position and wanted to know if I would be willing to do it. I told her I would pray about it and get back with her.

Well, I prayed and talked to my husband. I looked into the ministry more and thought, "I can do this, I'll just be taking pictures, right? I'll just be in the background, no big deal."

So I told her yes and moved on.

Then I got the call.

Stephanie, the leader of the retreat and one of the heads of the ministry called me to touch base and talk about the ministry and what all I was going to be doing. She said she only had like, 7 minutes to talk.

25 minutes later we hung up and I sat in stunned silence as I spoke out loud to God, "Lord, um, what have I just gotten myself into?!"

Let me tell you, I LOVE everything about this ministry. This is their mission:

Our Mission is to provide Christian faith based healing, ministry and restoration to the parents of miscarried children.

It is truly amazing. This is their website: Ruah Touch I highly encourage you to check it out. The ministry itself is barely a year and a half and this retreat I am participating in is only their second. It is also their first retreat with all women participants.

Anyways.... I thought my role was going to be standing in the background taking photos, but God had other plans! I am going to be helping with the retreat as Hospitality Coordinator and also in some of the more key roles of the actual retreat.

Now, when you think "retreat," you probably picture a resort, relaxing, taking it easy, a good time, right? Well, this retreat is not exactly like that. It is a HEALING retreat, so even though it is at a beautiful cabin in the woods and it will be relaxing to that extent, there is going to be a lot of GOD action going on. We are helping these beautiful women heal from the loss of a child, and in some cases, children. It's going to be deep, painful, sad, refreshing, joyful... so many things. And I have the honor of being a part of it. I will be walking with these ladies and I did not anticipate that!

What I need, what the ministry needs, what ALL of us participating in the retreat need is PRAYER! Lots and lots of prayer. So if you feel led to pray for me - bless you! If you feel led to pray for Ruah Touch - Thank you! If you feel led to pray in any way at all - Hallelujah! We also have specific Prayer Times we need covered, so if you think you can spare 15 minutes to pray during the following times, would you please email Heart2Pray@RuahTouch.com? Send your name, email address and prayer watch number time.

Ruah Touch Women's Retreat Dates - August 4-7 (Thurs.-Sun.)

Watch #1 - Thurs. (7-10p) Team Preparation Night

Watch #2 - Friday Evening - Everyone shares their testimony

Watch #3 - Saturday (9:30-11a) - Focused on Jesus Testimony

Watch #4 - Saturday (1:00-1:45p) - Grieving/Reconcilliation

Watch #5 - Saturday (1:45-4:30p) - Focused on Mother's heart through tangible symbols & a time of personal prayer.

Watch #6 - Saturday (6:30-9p) - Strongholds/Soul Ties

Watch #7 - Sunday morning (9a-10:30a) - Memorial Service

Watch #8 - Sunday Afternoon - Rear Guard for team and participants

You can always email me: angelasheartwork@yahoo.com if you have any questions!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Perfect Peach Cobbler

2011-07-16T12:20:00.000-04:00

Lucas & I went to a roadside stand the other day and brought home this large basket of deliciousness! I must admit, I've lived in Tennessee for almost 7 years now and have never eaten a fresh warm peach. Oh my gosh - it was heavenly! I now know what summer tastes like! So yummy!

Besides enjoying these beauties fresh out of the basket, you know I had to make some peach cobbler with some. (It would've been just plain wrong if I didn't!)

I used a recipe from an Amish cookbook my Mom got me in New York, so, no, it's not a "Southern" recipe. But it doesn't matter, I tweaked it to my liking, like I do to every recipe. ☺

Perfect Peach Cobbler

I actually doubled the recipe so I could use my deep dish pie pan. I cut and skinned 6 cups of peaches and arranged them in the pie pan.

Mix together sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract; sprinkle over the peaches.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

While peaches are cooking, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut in shortening. Beat egg, mix with milk , and add all at once to dry ingredients, mixing just enough to moisten flour. Drop dough over hot peaches, spreading over all. Sprinkle top with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Serve warm. ♥

It came out fantastic! I have made peach cobbler before, but this is the first time I made it with fresh peaches. I will say, if you are doubling the recipe, do not double the amount of sugar you sprinkle on the peaches. It will just be way too sweet.

Here is the full recipe - not doubled.

Perfect Peach Cobbler

3 c. sliced fresh peaches

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. grated lemon peel (I omitted, since I did not have on hand)

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. almond or vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. sifted flour

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon*

1/2 tsp. nutmeg*

1/3 cup shortening

1 egg

1/2 c. milk

2 Tbsp. sugar & cinnamon mix for topping*

Arrange sliced peaches in a 9" round baking dish. Mix together the cup of sugar, lemon peel, lemon juice and almond or vanilla extract; sprinkle over the peaches. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. While peaches are cooking, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut in shortening. Beat egg, milk, and add all at once to dry ingredients, mixing just enough to moisten flour. Drop dough over hot peaches, spreading all over. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Serve warm.

* I added the cinnamon and nutmeg and also the cinnamon to the topping.

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Don't Forget to Breathe

2011-07-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

He says "Be still and know I am God." In that stillness I often find myself holding my breath as if my breathing is too loud and I might miss something. If I pass out, I am bound to miss something, right?!

I do this most often in the wee hours of the night or in the early morning hours before even the birds are up. When the rest of the house is at rest and I am just waiting for my son to crawl out of his big boy bed and open his door. (We have 2 - yes TWO - gates up so he can't escape his room now.) This morning I was up at 6am. I heard him but he crawled back in bed. Then the rain started. And my mind started going even though I was so tired and I needed to go back to sleep.

I caught myself holding my breath. I heard, "Be still and know I am God," running through my thoughts. Then it was shattered with, "Breathe child!" Duh. I can picture God up there shaking his head with a silly grin on his face. Oh but for His grace. How else does he put up with me?! ☺

I am in awe at what He has handed me the past few weeks. I look back and wonder when I got so busy. When did the floodgates break wide open?

I was overwhelmed last week. I felt inundated on all sides. I took it out on my husband, my son. This was not what God had in mind for me. It was as if the devil had gotten in the cracks that I had let form and I was letting him take over. Let me tell you, prayer is a huge thing. I reached out to family and friends and asked for prayer. I have peace now. I have a blanket of prayer wrapped around me and my family and this blanket is soft and beautiful and Godly.

I can breathe.

Be still.

But remember to breathe.

Deep breath in. Hold. Release. ☺

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Another Day In The Life

2011-07-06T10:07:00.000-04:00

It has not been the easiest past 2 days with our "bundle of joy." Being the climber that he is, I am more surprised that it took him this long to finally climb out of his crib. He's 27 months old and has decided that staying in his crib is no longer any fun.

On Monday morning he greeted my husband in the living room with a "Hi dada." To which my husband was like, where is your mother?! (I was still in bed!) That day, he refused to take a nap. He kept crawling out of his crib. He finally passed out in my lap at 6:30pm. SIGH.

Thankfully, that night, we had no problem putting him to bed. He had his bath and normal bedtime "rituals" and fell asleep. Thank goodness.

The next morning, he crawled out of his crib and went into our bedroom to greet Daddy again. (I was in the living room this time.) Nap time wasn't an issue as we spent the day in the mountains and he took a short 30-45 minute nap in the car.

I had a meeting to go to so I expected when I came in the door that bath time would be just starting. (It was around 8:20p.) Well, seems Lucas had put Daddy through the wringer and Daddy had lost all patience with our son. Bath time was done when I walked in and they were getting ready to get out. Uh oh. I foresaw bad things.

Let's just say that we put our son back into bed more times than I care to count and he did not fall asleep until 10:30pm. This after my husband had to hold him while he cried himself to sleep.

I had reached the point where I didn't care if he ran around the house playing. I was done. Maybe I give up too easily. Maybe I am too lenient. Maybe I just don't care all that much. Is that wrong? Does that make me a bad mom? Am I bound to raise a "bad" child because of my attitude?

I was just past the point of wanting to fight with him. I figured he'd wear himself out and pass out. I also knew that I shouldn't let him think it's okay to crawl out of bed and run around the house. I know this. I was just beat. Of course, my beat down attitude just upset my husband. I won zero brownie points in the spouse department, let me tell you.

Brings me to the thought of having another child and I tell you this... I'm fine with just one. It seems like all my friends kids behave so much better for them. I feel like my son has more energy, more life, more deviousness in him to wear out the devil. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade him in for anything. But ya know, God gave me this child, this one with so much life, so much energy, for a reason. And God also knows that I still desire to adopt. Some how, some way. There's another child out there for me. I am already carrying him or her in my heart. They don't have to grow below my heart when they already live in it, right?

Counting it all joy,

Angela

#1 Reason To Try My Homemade Bath Paint

2011-07-03T08:51:00.000-04:00

A few posts ago I showed you how I made an expensive version of bath time finger paint out of tear-free shower gel and food coloring. If you haven't tried this yet, let me give you one really great reason why you should:

You just may get your bathroom cleaned for you!

Yep, that is my cute little man WASHING the tub. He had painted the wall, then he cleaned it off. But he didn't stop there. No... he kept going -

He washed down the side all the way to the other end of the tub, which hadn't even been "painted!" This mommy was VERY happy! ☺

He even washed the faucet. {Isn't his booty just the cutest?!}

After he was done cleaning, he played in the shower & I had fun taking a bunch more photos of his antics. These are a few of my favorites:

Now... get yourself some inexpensive tear-free shower gel, food coloring & get making some bath paint! You just might get your bath tub cleaned! ☺

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Shelves Glorious Shelves

2011-06-23T20:13:00.000-04:00

I finally made it to the Goodwill store and found me some shelves to sand & paint & make mine... alllll mine! And I was greedy. I bought 3!! I would've bought more but we only live in a 1200 square foot apartment and we really don't have that much wall space. Plus, unbeknownst to me as I was loading up my cart, everything was 50% off. If I had known that, you KNOW I would've bought more. Just because. 50% OFF! Heck yeah.

Anyways, here are the 3 I bought...

This sweet awesomeness was $3.25!

This one was $3!! (Going in the laundry room.)

And this one was $1.75!

I sanded the first one and painted that already. My plan was to put it in the kitchen and put our painted flower pots on it so our brilliant cat Tubby would stop eating the flowers that we are attempting to grow. But, alas, that was not to be as the bar across the shelf makes it too small for the pots to fit.

Plan B - I moved it into our full-size bath.

Now my pretty wreath hangs on it and we can add assorted other stuff to the shelf.

BUT, I still need a place for those plants. Now my plan for that last shelf, the one that was only $1.75? I want to turn that into a little chair for Lucas. I'm going to strip the ugly paint, sand it down, flip the thing over, add some wood, paint it a new color and presto! I have a vision and I will make it happen. Until then...

It'll hold our decorated flower pots in our kitchen. ☺ The color kind of matches the coffee-theme we have (although I admit I did try to sand it down some but man, there is A LOT of paint on that sucker!).

I still have to paint the large one that is going in the laundry room so you will have the joy of yet another shelf post. Yay you! And with that....

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Happy Birthday Board, My Way

2011-06-20T10:35:00.000-04:00

Back in April I came across a really cute idea on another blog to do a Happy Birthday Board. I loved the idea but I did not like the finished product, mostly because I did not like the texture they used on the board.

Instead I decided to just paint the board using the free paint I got from Valspar, Carolina Skies Blue.

Then I stenciled and painted in Happy Birthday on the board. (FYI: I purchased the board at Hobby Lobby for $2.99)

I added a decorative knob to the board - cute knob purchased at Hobby Lobby for $2.99.

Then all I had to do was add the tags with the birthdays on them.

On the original blog, they had a Cricut machine. I do not. So I went to Joann's and bought some really cute tags that had different designs on them for $1.99. I already had stencils so I could add the month and birthdays neatly to each one. ☺ That was the hardest part for me, but I wanted it to look neat. (I'm anal that way.) Then I added the ribbon (Hobby Lobby, $.99 - it was 50% off.)

Anyways, this is the finished product! I LOVE it!

As each month passes, all I have to do is switch the tag to the back and see the next month's birthdays. I am thinking I might need an Anniversary one next. ☺

Counting it all joy,

Angela

RAWR - Buffalo Chicken Chili

2011-06-15T11:30:00.000-04:00

If you like Buffalo Chicken Wings and you like Chili, then you will LOVE my Buffalo Chicken Chili... I PROMISE you. And I can guarantee you that my recipe is better than the original. (Sorry Rachel Ray, but I had to tweak your recipe because it was not so hot.)

So, here it is...

Angela's Buffalo Chicken Chili

1 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan.

2 tbsp. Unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

2 pounds ground chicken

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 celery ribs, finely chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

1 ½ tsp. Ground cumin

1 tsp. Ground coriander

6 ounces beer

¼ cup hot sauce or buffalo wing sauce

2, 15-ounce cans tomato sauce

One 15-ounce can light red kidney beans, drained and washed

One 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and washed

Heat large skillet over high heat. Add olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and the butter and melt together. Add the chicken and cook, breaking up the meat, for 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic, celery, onion, and carrot. Season with salt, pepper, cumin and coriander, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beer and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Concentrate the flavor of the beer by reducing the mixture over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the hot sauce or wing sauce and the tomato sauce and beans. Reduce the heat to low and simmer chili for 15 minutes.

Serve with crumbled bleu cheese and tortilla chips.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

You HAVE to serve this with tortilla chips... it's delicious! I usually prepare this the night before and throw it in the slow cooker the next day. This way, the celery and carrots get nice and tender and all the juices get to marinade together. It's melt in your mouth good!

I have also made this with ground venison for my dad. It kind of defeats the whole "Buffalo CHICKEN chili" part, but hey, if you have a hunter in the family and need to cook up some venison, go for it! He and his buddies loved it. ☺

And for those that want to know how I tweaked Rachel Ray's recipe... I added more hot sauce and added the beans, because for me, a chili with no beans is not a chili, sorry.

If you make this for your family, I'd love to hear what you thought of it!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Shhhh.... They're taking a Nap Nap

2011-06-10T16:44:00.000-04:00

My son, ever the creative little man that he is, was playing with his trove of Cars the other day. Next thing you know, he's knocking them all over onto their sides and onto their backs. Then he looks at me, puts his finger to his lips and goes, "Shhhhh, momma, they're taking a nap nap."

*SMILE*

Have I told you how much I LOVE my son?!

Then, in true Lucas form, he leans down and yells "GET UP!"

Sigh. Boys.

Channeling Sarge, perhaps?

Making memories. That's what it's all about, right? ☺

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Bathtime Ingenuity

2011-06-02T21:32:00.000-04:00

My son likes to paint and color. I think most kids do. But he REALLY gets into it. It's not like you can hand him a paintbrush and expect him to keep it pointed on the paper. It ain't gonna happen.

So I have been thinking it would be really great to let him have bath paints. Let him color in the tub and all. Then I looked at the cost of these paints. Geesh. $4.99. Seriously?! This stuff was just going to be washed down the tub with the dirt and bubbles. I wasn't going to actually get to keep anything from it.

Mommy brain works overtime when she fears she has to wash money down the drain. And by golly, I LOVE the internet!

The solution:

Clear body wash for kids: $1.67

Food Coloring: Free

Ice Cube Tray: Free

Yay Baby! Finger Painting fun in the tub for under $2!

I squeezed some body wash in the tray, added a drop of food color, stirred with a toothpick, and Voila! The 2 colors up front are violet and orange, and had to "be combined," and I was a little worried they might stain, but they didn't, so have fun!

Even Thomas had to get "colored."

And my little man had a BLAST! He even colored Mommy's arms. ☺ We'll be doing this tomorrow night, guarantee it!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

The Beach

2011-05-21T15:34:00.000-04:00

Ft. Walton Beach, Florida

I have been there once and I fell head over flip flops in love. Seriously. Not a day goes by that I do not dream about going back and walking this beach. I love the Gulf of Mexico. I think a piece of me was left there. Even after experiencing my first jellyfish sting, I still want to play in those waves. I want to take my son there and build sandcastles and take him to Dewey Destin's and enjoy the food and bask in the gorgeous sunset.

SIGH.

One day.

But for now, I bring the beach to me in the form of none other than....

A wreath.

Yep! You think "wreath" and you think "Christmas," "snow," "cold." Nope! Not me! I thought, "BEACH!"

Here's why...

Isn't she a beaut?! I chose the yarn first, then got the felt to match. I absolutely LOVE making yarn wreaths because they are so easy to do & I am addicted to making felt flowers. They are super easy and so cute!

I love this color combination & I am still toying with adding some seashells. I thought about buying some but I think it would be more meaningful to add shells that I have found on the sandy shores. So I will wait. For now, this lovely beachy beauty hangs in my fish-themed bathroom reminding me of Ft. Walton & where I'd rather be. So, yes, every time I sit down to do my business, I dream of waves crashing. Hey, it helps speed up the process!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Coupons for a Cause

2011-05-13T14:23:00.000-04:00

Cover me in coupons & slap a stamp on me! I'm heading to Italy! Woo Hoo. Okay, well, I'M not going to Italy but the coupons that I don't need, use or have expired are. Yes, you read right - EXPIRED.

Our PEP Moms 1's & 2's groups has "adopted" a U.S. military base in Italy & since we are moms that like to save & support other moms, we thought this was a great way to do that. The great thing about this is we can send expired coupons. Now I no longer feel guilty for not using a coupon and having it expire because I know someone else has a chance to take advantage of the great deal still.

Such a simple thing but still such a blessing.

If you are interested in adopting a base yourself, please go to: http://www.ocpnet.org or if you want to mail your coupons to me & have me do all the work (which I am happy to do!), please email me at angelasheartwork@yahoo.com and I will send you my mailing address.

I can accept expired coupons up to 1 month. They will accept them up to 2 months expired but by the time I gather them and ship them off, I want to make sure they can still use them.

I am a proud mom, a proud wife, a proud Navy brat & a proud American! Support however way you can... even if it is just by clipping coupons! ♥

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Why I Love Being A Mom...

2011-05-06T13:55:00.000-04:00

He fills me with unexplainable joy & wonder.

His face lights up when he sees me.

He wraps his arms around me & goes, "Oh momma."

His sweet kisses.

His "I love you's."

Seeing the world through his eyes.

His giggles, his laughter, his unabashed hysterics.

His complete trust in me.

That smile.

When he falls asleep on me.

Moments like these...

Thank you, Lord, for the path you led me down that brought me this sweet precious little boy. He isn't always the angel I want him to be but the things that I love most about him outweigh the times he drives me crazy. {Like now, as I type this and he is lounging on the recliner spitting at the tv while Imagination Movers is on. Why? I have no idea.} There are days I wonder why we didn't just get a dog... then he does one of the things in the list above. ☺ I love him, Lord, and I am so eternally grateful for the blessing that is him. Thank you for gifting him to me. There will never be enough words.

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Pure Beachiness

2011-04-30T14:32:00.001-04:00

I love free stuff. Who doesn't? Some free stuff you may think to yourself, "Do I really NEED that?" Sometimes the answer is an easy No. Other times it's debatable. So you might as well get it. If you don't need it, chances are someone you know will need it.

Since becoming a stay-at-home-mom, FREE or deeply discounted are music to my ears. Or, in my cases, a sight for sore eyes! I love a good deal but I swoon over a GREAT deal. When I heard about the free sample from Valspar paint, I was disappointed that I hadn't gotten in on the action. Now, if you know me, you know I live in an apartment. There isn't a whole lot I can paint here. As you know, if we paint anything, we'll just have to paint it again to the drab off-white dreary paint color that is currently on the walls. Some people are fine with this, but, well, that's a lot of work when you have a toddler running around.

But, I was still really disappointed. But then it happened. They offered the freebie again! Woo Hoo! I jumped on it! I got to choose a color. I was so excited!!! What to choose, what to choose! I went with this...

I figured, if I can't live by the beach, I'd bring it to me.

And I had a lot of ideas in mind as to what I was going to do with this paint sample. Here is my first completed project:

A flower pot!

Is this not adorable?! I love it! I am no artist, so forgive the funny looking sea creatures. ☺

This is how it began:

An inexpensive terra cotta flower pot from Hobby Lobby.

Which I painted with my free paint! Beautiful!

After the first coat had dried, I added a 2nd coat just to the bottom, like this, then I dipped it into some clean sand...

See? This gives it this really neat beachy look which totally makes the flower pot uber cute!

This photo here is of dyed macaroni shells. This is how I did it:

Take some rubbing alcohol, food coloring, medium macaroni shells and some ziploc baggies.

Add about 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol, 4-8 drops of food coloring, & 4-8 shells in a ziploc bag. Seal and place in a cup. Let sit overnight. Do this for each color. (I did this the night before.) In the morning, snip a hole in one corner, let the liquid out & remove the shells to dry on a paper towel.

Next step is to paint a crab, some fish, some seaweed, whatever sea creatures you would like on your flower pot. I am not an artist, so I did my best. ☺

Finally, using a hot glue gun, glue the shells to the top of your pot.

Once everything is set & dried, you can fill your pot with soil & a flowers & voila! Or, use it to hold utensils or pencils, or whatever floats your boat!

Even if you can't live at the beach, you can bring the beach to you!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

This Is For You

2011-04-27T14:30:00.000-04:00

For all the beautiful Mommy's out there. The ones that are tired & overwhelmed.

The ones that are wondering if all that they do is enough.

The ones that doubt their decisions, their choices.

The ones that sometimes hide in the bathroom, laundry room, closet just to get a moments peace.

The ones that adore their children and love them "to infinity and beyond," "to the moon and back," so much so that their cups overfloweth.

This is for you.

BREATHE. Take a deep breath in. Hold it. Let it out s.l.o.w.l.y.

You are a beauty to behold. A gift from the Lord. You are more precious than jewels. You are a Mom, but first you are a child of the Lord.

Cast aside the doubt, the worry, the fear. Lay it down at Christ's feet and be done with it. Let Him alone be your guide. Do not worry what others think - they are not who you are working to please. Their judgment means nothing. Why should it? They are only human. They, just like you, make mistakes.

When you wrap yourself around the concerns and cares of what others think, you are only hurting yourself.

♥ Trust your heart & God will guide you. ♥

When I was growing up, I don't remember my mom ever worrying about what was or wasn't in the sunscreen.... I don't think we used it half the time. Baby oil was the lather of choice! If we ate dirt, mom didn't freak out. We had to eat a little dirt to realize what was truly sweet in this world. We skinned our knees, busted our lips and broke a few bones... but we survived. We wear those scars PROUDLY. We drank water out of the creek & didn't get some strange disease. We shared our food and our drinks and we played with everyone. Our moms knew the other kids moms and we knew we had better be on our best behavior.

If your child is happy, laughs, smiles and is the joy in your life - you are doing a FANTASTIC job!! I applaud you for being a GREAT mom! If there are toys all over your living room floor (and kitchen, and bedroom, and dining room and... ) even better! It just shows that your priority in your life is your child. Amen! Keep up the awesome work!

They will not remember if you gave them organic puffs as a snack. They will not remember if you kept them away from dirt until they were 3. They will not remember if you banned television until they were 4. They will not remember a clean house. They will not remember the lack of dog or cat hair on the floor.

What will matter to them is the interaction and love they felt and received from you from day one. They will remember hugs, kisses, tickles, laughter, time spent, adventures, and the time you took to be with them.

Do not doubt yourself. You are a beautiful Mom.

Inside and out. You make me proud.

And you make Our Father proud.

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Life Is Too Short...

2011-04-27T09:18:00.000-04:00

Not To Enter A Few Contests!

Especially when you get to show off some of your favorite photos. ♥

Like this one...

By far my favorite shot of my son's 2 year photos. We were at a new place so he wanted to explore more than take photos so I was super happy with this shot. And I just love his bowtie! {From http://www.bandzbyliz.com/!}

And just the other day we got to enjoy a gorgeous day at the zoo with our friends. I, of course, had my camera & was capturing animals and cute kids. God's hand was definitely there for this shot, though. Ahhh... young love. ♥

And I love that you can still see the 2 tortoises munching away at their lunch! heehee Too sweet. I love capturing the precious, innocent moments in the lives of our children. What a blessing for me!

Photography is a love for me. A gift I feel was given to me by Our Father. I want to use it to bless others. I hope these photos made you smile.

Now on to the Contest! (life is too short not to) wear red shoes is the awesome blog hosting the giveaway. You can read more about it here:

Portrait Photo Contest

There are some beautiful prizes up for grabs by artists that I already LOVE. So check it out. ☺ Or just leave me some love, if you feel inclined to. ♥ Either way, I love all of you!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Our New {old} Easter Tradition

2011-04-24T18:40:00.000-04:00

Is Placzek.

Ummmm.. Placzek - sweet Polish yeast bread. The only time I will eat raisins not coated in some form of chocolate. ☺

I am not a lady that makes bread with yeast. Yeast kind of frightens me. It's active and alive and EATS stuff. It's just weird. And it smells. {And not good when it's not cooked.}

Now, yeast rolls baking in the oven, THEY smell divine. I love that smell, I just don't like going through all that effort so I usually buy the frozen kind. But, I'm wandering away from my point!

PLACZEK. Sweet Polish Yeast Bread. With a crumble topping that you could just eat out of a bowl. {Which I did since I had extra... heehee}

I don't have photos of the whole process. I'm not that courageous, seeing as this was my first time ever making this bread homemade. See, let me explain something. I lived in Buffalo, New York for 13 years. It is one of the epicenters of where those with a Polish heritage reside in the United States. The Broadway Market is THEE place to go at Easter-time and boy do I miss it. The fresh Placzek, the almond rings, fresh Polish kielbasa, hand-painted wooden eggs, I could go on, but I won't. The point is, I live in Knoxville, TN now and we don't have that here.

And now I have a 2 year old son who I want to share these traditions with but we can't afford to drive to Buffalo {a 12 hour drive} every year. So what to do? I'm not about to attempt to make homemade Polish kielbasa. But Placzek... that's doable. So I did it! And the 3 loaves that I made came out pretty darn good! Take a look...

Fresh out of the oven!

Closeup of the yummy crust topping!

They came out of the pans nicely - Yay!

Yummy!

First slice!

It was very good! This first loaf could've baked for at least 15 more minutes as the inside was still a bit doughy but I was following the recipe and was so scared I was going to burn it to a crisp. Live and learn! But it really was not as difficult as I thought it was going to be.

So without further adieu! Here is the recipe for any brave souls out there who would like to attempt some delicious Polish Placzek!

Placzek

Sponge:

2 cups lukewarm milk
2 pkgs Dry Active Yeast

3 Tbsp sugar

3 cups flour

Dough:

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

6 eggs

2 Tbsp cream cheese

4 cups flour
1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

rind of lemon (optional, but I used)

dash of nutmeg

Golden Raisins (I used regular raisins)

Crumb Topping:
1 cup sugar

1½ cup flour

½ cup soft butter

Crumble Together

Crumble yeast into lukewarm milk, to which 3T of sugar has been added. When dissolved, stir in 3 cups of flour. Beat with a wooden spoon*.

Let rise until doubled in bulk. (Approx. 45 min. - 1 hour) Meanwhile combine remaining ingredients adding the eggs, one at a time as you beat with electric mixer. When sponge has risen, combine the two mixtures - add raisins last.

Place dough in 3-4 greased loaf pans. Top with crumbs. Put in preheated 375° oven - bake 30-45 minutes.

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 1 hr
Yields: Yields 3-4 loaf pans
NOTE: *Key is to use a wooden spoon - not metal for stirring. Make sure you use warm milk for the sponge.
*********************************************************************************

I hope everyone had a beautiful Easter surrounded by those they love, resting in the assurance of God's love & the fact that HE HAS RISEN! HE LIVES!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

When There's Nothing Sweet To Eat...

2011-04-18T13:52:00.000-04:00

You have to get creative!

☺

I am the type of person who follows directions... for the most part. If the recipe calls for a certain ingredient that my cupboard lacks, I do not let that sway me. I will just substitute something else that I have that sounds just as good. Not to toot my own horn, but that "take charge attitude" has never gone wrong in my cooking endeavors.

I have a recipe for Buffalo Chicken Chili that I got from the Rachel Ray show. I changed it, though, and made it "Angela's Buffalo Chicken Chili" because I didn't like her recipe. Don't get me wrong, her's sounded great, that's why I got the recipe in the first place! After making it the first time, though, I felt it was lacking in a few areas so I tweaked it and made it my own. I like to do that; it's fun!

I have a few "recipes" that I have made myself but have never actually written down. For instance, my Boneless Pork Loin. I LOVE it. It is so tasty and moist and just delicious! However, if you ask me how I make it, I am like your Great Grandma when I say, well, I add a dash of this and sprinkle of that and a squeeze of this. I have no clue as to the measurements. It is all done by sight - MY sight. ☺ I've tried to jot it down, but when I go back and follow what I wrote, it doesn't come out the same. SIGH.

But today I decided I was going to share an EASY recipe I came up with. Well, I think I came up with it as I just threw it together after scrounging in the kitchen for something sweet to eat. (Thank you PMS for arriving when we had no chocolate ice cream in the house!) For me, I just threw in the things I seriously CRAVE. (Take note, this is SO not good for you, but you only live once so what the heck.)

I'm just going to call it:

Angela's Sweet Treat of Awesome Not Good For You Goodness

1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

3/4 cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

1/4 cup Nutella (or the store brand, which is what I have)

1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

Layer each item from top the Peanut butter down in a microwave-safe bowl.

Microwave on high for 45-60 seconds.

Stir with a knife until mixed thoroughly.

Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Spoon mixture into cupcake liners. (I use a tablespoon - not the measuring tablespoon, the kind you have in your utensil drawer, the big one only men use to slurp soup with.) I scoop 2 spoonfuls into each liner.

Place entire muffin pan in freezer to harden. Or you can put in the fridge but I wanted mine to set quicker. Makes 1 dozen. ☺

Once they are hardened, all you have to do is peel the liner off and enjoy! Yummy, so bad for you goodness!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Who Knew?

2011-04-14T08:16:00.001-04:00

Who knew that one day you'd become a mom and catching puke in your hand wouldn't totally gross you out?

That one day having a child spit into your hand would be "normal?"

That picking boogers out of a child's nose wasn't such a big deal?

That having your child's poop on your finger, hand, arm, leg, whatever wasn't that disgusting?

Who knew?!

God did.

"You saw me before I was being born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." ~ Psalm 139:16

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." ~ Jeremiah 29:11

You might think, "God didn't have THAT in mind!" I beg to differ. He knew. He knew he had to make Moms stronger.

In Genesis 3:16, God said to the woman, "You will bear children with intense pain and suffering." Some may see that as punishment from God but now that I am a Mom, I think He was just preparing us for the many things Moms have to endure.

Sleepless nights. Whiny children. Puke-stained clothes. Tripping over (oftentimes stepping on) stray cars & legos. Watching the same movie a hundred thousand times.

Moms are STRONG.

But we are still women.

And we still break.

We still need our time with Him alone.

That quiet time. Before our little ones wake up & take over our day.

Why are we so strong? Because GOD made us this way and through Him we can do anything. When you just want to cry, to give up, to run and hide, to lock yourself in the bathroom. Pray. Pray for God to restore you and give you back HIS strength to get you through the day.

Yes, I am a Mom and I will gladly catch my son's puke in my hand so I have one less blanket to wash. But I will also gladly let dishes pile up so that I can cuddle with him on the couch under that clean blanket when he needs me to.

Thank you, God, for your Love, Strength, Guidance, & Grace. And thank you for making me a Mom.

Counting it all joy,
Angela

It's Almost My Etsy-Versary!

2011-04-09T15:17:00.001-04:00

What's an Etsy-Versary you ask? Well I'm going to tell you! On Monday, April 11th I will be celebrating 3 years of being on Etsy.com! ♥ Yay! It's even more exciting for me because this past week I hit over 100 sales on Etsy! Woo Hoo! Break out the champagne!

In honor of my "Etsy-Versary" I am offering a very sweet discount in my shop - EVERYthing is going to be 33% off! YES!! You read right: 33% off!

But, you have to use the magical coupon code: 3YEARS

How easy is that?! It won't last forever, though. How long, you ask? I haven't decided yet. So start shopping! All I know is that it will last until at least the 12th. ☺

And you are aware that Mother's Day is May 8th, right? I think you'll find some beautiful photos at Angela's Heartwork for her. All you would then have to do is buy a frame (I ♥ Hobby Lobby's frames & they are like, ALWAYS 50% off!) and VOILA! a beautiful, yet inexpensive, but still personal, gift!

As I leave you to ponder the many photos you will want to purchase... this is the one that brought me online and to Etsy in the first place....

Instead Of Me

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Good Deals & Craftiness

2011-04-04T10:04:00.002-04:00

Happy Monday! I've been busy finding good deals & being crafty. Well, okay, if I'm being honest, not THAT busy. ☺ We actually spent yesterday at Dollywood for the first time this season & it was a lot of fun. A bit tiring with a 2 year old but so worth it!

On to the great deal I found last week!

I love baskets, especially lined baskets so when I was at Kroger & spotted this set in the Clearance section I had to stop & take a peek at the price. When I saw this:

I snatched it up! What a steal! I was so excited! I wasn't positive as to what I was going to DO with them but I knew that organization was in my future! Well, MORE organization. ☺

I ended up using most of the baskets to straighten out the computer area, which is also the prime work area for me for my "heartwork." The largest basket on the bottom is being used as a catchall in my closet for paperwork that needs to be filed. (Figured that was a lot neater than throwing the papers on my floor before filing. LOL)

On to one of the freebies I got in the mail! Many of you might have received this also, as it is the Target beauty bag freebie. I, honestly, forgot I got in on it. hahaha What a pleasant surprise for me when I opened my mailbox the other day!

The Nivea lotion is wonderful, by the way! I am one happy girl! ♥

Now on to my "Craftiness."

Lucas & I were at a playdate last week when one of my mommy friends was showing me a cute camera lens wrap. Upon further inspection of this product, she realized that it was made out of a hair "scrunchie." We were like, "I bet you could make that!" Since I had cut my hair a few years ago, I knew I had a few scrunchies lying around the house so when I got home I went in search of them.

I pulled up the photo of one of the "wraps" to see how it was made & started to go to work.

Mine is in no way as professional looking as hers, but it cost me nothing (versus the $14 + s&h it would've cost me!) and I think I did a pretty darn good job! (FYI: It's supposed to be a goofy dog that wraps around the camera lens. Since I needed the camera to take the photo, I wrapped it around a glass.)

I think he's pretty cute! ♥

Then I started talking about these really great photo props I saw. They are chalk boards shaped like word bubbles that people can hold up during a photo shoot. I thought they were awesome ideas and the shop that makes them are really reasonably priced but I don't really have a ton of money to spare. My friend pointed out that Hobby Lobby has pre-cut wood that I could paint with the chalkboard paint and make my own. Sweet!

So that is one of the projects I did this weekend. I bought some cute shaped wood for $2.99 and some chalkboard spray paint for $7.99 and had me some fun! I did one as an "experiment," since I have never done this before & I wanted to make sure it worked. Plus, I wanted to spruce it up some so I bought some ribbon for $1.50 (50% off!)

This is how it turned out:

I love it! I can't wait to finish the other 2. I am not sure if I will put ribbon on the other 2, also, but we shall see. I am hoping to get Lucas' 2-year photos done soon & want to use these props with him. I will, of course, post photos here!

Any good deals or craftiness for you this past week or weekend? Do share!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

April 1st = AUGH!

2011-04-01T11:22:00.001-04:00

April 1st is not a favorite day for me. Not because people tend to play silly (sometimes cruel) jokes on each other but because God answered a prayer for me in a not so nice way on this day 8 years ago.

I lived in Buffalo, New York back then. And as oftentimes happens, we had freaky weather. Snow, rain, ice. The norm for Spring in Western New York. I was on my way to work and the roads were bad. It was lightly snowing, thus covering the dreaded black ice. I knew there were a number of accidents all over the place but figured if I took my time all would be fine. I got on the Interstate and was slowly making my way over to the middle lane when lo and behold, my sweet amethyst jeep cherokee sport hit a patch of ice and I started to spin.

Yep, I panicked. The entire time my vehicle was spinning I was praying, "Oh my God, oh my God." (Yes, that is a prayer when you are in a situation like this!) I had also thrown in "Please don't let me hit anyone!" It was rush hour in bad weather and there were cars all around me and here I am, spinning in a circle. I still remember looking out my window and looking into the eyes of another driver and seeing HER panic. Then I hit the median and ended up facing oncoming traffic.

The airbags deployed and my left leg was in pain. I was still praying, "Oh my God, Oh my God." By God's sweet amazing grace, I had not hit anything BUT that median. It was the scariest thing ever.

Now at the time I did not have a cell phone. So there I am sitting there trying to calm myself down, wondering if someone else is going to hit me when a gentleman pulls up beside me and asks if I am okay. (Thank you God... my angel!) I said I didn't think I could move my leg. He asked if I could move my car over some (I was blocking a bit of the traffic and of course, the sweet lovely New Yorkers were HONKING at me and yelling at me to get the bleep bleep out of the way!) I couldn't. My front driver-side wheel was too messed up.

Anyways, he called 911 for me and stayed with me until we saw the emergency vehicles. I never got his name but he was my angel, I just know it! ☺ Funny thing is, he asked me if there was anyone I wanted him to call and I said no (the firemen on the scene asked the same thing and I gave the same answer). Now, mind you, I had been married for almost a year by this time and most women would've said, yes! Not me, I didn't want to worry my hubby. I figured I'd call him once I got to the hospital and knew what was wrong.

Yeah, well, Buffalo may be a "city," but it's still a small world!

A neighbor of my parent's saw me. They recognized my jeep and bright yellow jacket and called my parents who then called my husband. They were calling all the hospitals trying to find me before I had even left the scene! SIGH.

Anyways, turns out I had broken my ankle. I learned a lot that day. The biggest one? Be careful what you pray for.

I had been praying for MONTHS: "God, I just need a break."

Yeah, well, I meant vacation. I need to be more specific.

Lesson learned. The hard way. A very painful, hard way.

Here's to a pain-free April 1st!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Just A Poem Today....

2011-03-30T15:44:00.000-04:00

A Bequest From Above

A beautiful surprise;
A respite from it all.
Life can be so glorious,
So great to behold.
You just need to grasp it –
Seize it!
You only have this one chance,
Do not let fear reside in your heart.
Dream it.
Dream big.
Dream bigger.
Do not be held back by others.
Do not be held back by yourself.
Life is only here for a short while.
Do not waste a moment.
Tell them you love them.
Admit you need them.
Cherish the attention.
Hold sacred the moments.
Love with all your heart
And embrace the broken pieces,
As they are still a part of whom you are.
Love yourself.
Trust in God.
Be free from the world
And blessings will appear.
Remain with eyes wide open
And you will never miss the blessings
God sends daily.
Life is a gift –
Embrace it for what it is.
Never forget,
God graciously gave it
To each
Of us.

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Cast Not...

2011-03-26T16:17:00.000-04:00

I have a prayer on my heart, one that I want to share with all of you. It isn't a long prayer but one that I think I oftentimes need to return to.

"Lord, help me to not cast stones."

You know what I mean. There's also this one:

"Lord, help me to not be envious; to covet thy neighbor or what my friend/family/has/does/is doing."

It is easy, SO EASY to look at someone else and go, I WISH.

"I wish I had their money to take that kind of vacation."

{Maybe they don't HAVE "money," maybe they saved or know a great hint on how to find the good deals to go on a vacation like that.... have you ever asked?!}

And in the same breath, of thinking "I wish I had their money," you are thinking, "They think they are sooo much better than us because they go to the beach for vacation & we go to the local campground!"

Um, no. Did you ever stop to think that maybe they HATE camping? Or that maybe they just prefer the beach or maybe they got a great deal they couldn't pass up?

Or when your friend or family member purchases something you just could never afford. A new car; a USED car. A hot tub. A large toy for their child. Whatever. You feel that twinge of jealousy in your stomach. You know that you can't afford something like that and even though you are happy for them, you are jealous.

It's okay. It's human nature. But why? They are all just THINGS. And besides, do you know the story behind the purchase? Do you know if they saved for that item? Got an awesome deal on it? Went further into debt for it? Think about it.

It all comes down to putting yourself in their shoes. Until you have walked a mile in their shoes, until you have lived their life for a day, until you have read their financial statements, until you have lived through their life for 1 day... STOP.

We do not know everyone's story. Not even our family's. Unless we are going to be open and honest (I mean, bear it all, pour out your heart, leave no ugliness left out) we will never truly know everything about someone else.

Yes, I admit. I get sad when I can't give my son everything I'd like to give him. But you know what? He isn't. He could careless! That's the joy of children. When he is older, that won't be the case so for now, I will try & REJOICE that my child does not whine for toys or ask for a specific item. It will be short-lived, this I know. ☺

And yes, I wish we had a 2nd car. It would make my life easier. But, we would then have to fill 2 gas tanks & pay 2 car insurances. And right now, we want to get out of debt. Don't get me wrong, we still do vacations. We just look for deals. And we pay for them before we go. We still want to enjoy the little things.

I will tell you this about myself: When my husband & I got married almost 9 years ago, we had, combined $50,000 in debt. Today, we have around $10,000 maybe a little under. I have not worked outside the home since I was laid off in January of 2008. (I have looked and gone on interviews but have not gotten a job - I guess God wants me right where I am!) It is not easy. My husband's job required him to take a 10% pay cut in 2008. He still has not gotten that back.

God provides. If I did not believe this, then I would be a blithering idiot. ☺

So I tell you this: COUNT IT ALL JOY.

And don't cast stones. Do not covet thy neighbor. Have your thoughts, but don't express them. And pray about any negativeness that is running around your heart today. And remember... if your child is being way too quiet, he is probably up to no good.

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Joy Glorious Joy!

2011-03-25T13:45:00.000-04:00

"Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy."

~ James 1:2

That's a pretty easy thing to do when you are 2 years old surrounded by the people you love, isn't it? Even when you are being hung by your feet and tickled. ☺ But boy is it a hard thing to do, to "count it all joy," when life is just not working out the way YOU thought it would. When bills are piling up, your job is not what you want it be - if you are even lucky enough to have one nowadays, when you look around and wonder "Why does it seem as if I am the only one struggling?"

Oh how easy it is to throw yourself a pity party!

God does not call us to do that, though.

"So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for awhile."

~ 1 Peter 1:6

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us - they will help us learn to endure."

~ Romans 5:3

Oh how hard it is!!!

Then I read this,

"We are confident that as you share in suffering, you will also share God's comfort."

~ 2 Corinthians 1:7

NOTE that it says SHARE. He does not call us to suffer ALONE. Nor does he call us to be comforted alone. Doesn't that just make you want to jump for joy?! I want to shout that from the mountaintops! REJOICE! You are not alone! Share your burdens with those you trust; those you love; those that are around you. Do not be afraid to lean on one another in GOOD TIMES and BAD TIMES! God calls us to be comfort to each other in ALL times.

He has given us each other for a reason. Do not wrap yourself up in a cocoon of fear and suffering. Let us be there for each other - to cheer on our triumphs, to comfort us in our sadness, to be the shoulder to lean on, to just be the SUPPORT we oftentimes need.

Let us encourage one another to "Count it all joy."

I've been "Counting it all joy" since 2008... when I lost my job of almost 3 years. Then the road got steeper. Things got harder. Boulders started filling my path. It didn't just rain, it POURED. But through that, there was also light. A positive sign on a stick that declared {finally!} that I was pregnant! My first sale on Etsy! Feeling my child "flutter" the first time! Finding out we were having a boy!

Joys amongst sadness and pain and hardship.

COUNT. IT. ALL. JOY.

I love you my friends.

Counting it all joy,

Angela

And The Winner ....

2011-03-24T10:39:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I do it the "old fashioned" way. At least, until I get a hundred or more entries!

Everyone's name & entries went into my son's green bucket... then he had the honor of choosing the winner!

Who is it, Lucas?!

Congratulations So Fabulously Flawed! You are the winner of 2 5x7 prints of your choice!! Let me know what prints you want and your shipping address & I'll get 'em sent out to you!! Woo Hoo!

My email addy is: angelasheartwork@yahoo.com

But... Lucas was having so much fun... I have a 2nd place winner!!! {I'm in a generous mood, what can I say?!} So the 2nd place winner will get 1 5x7 print of their choice. And that winner is...

Congratulations Andrea! See -- it pays to put yourself out there! LOL Email me (angelasheartwork@yahoo.com) your address and what print you would like and I'll get it out asap!

Thank you soooo much for participating everyone! Keep an eye out... the fun is never over! If you are following me on Facebook you will get updates on my latest pieces and when I am sponsoring giveaways. (Which I am in April, so stay tuned!)

Have a beautiful day!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Goodies & Good Buys!

2011-03-22T17:11:00.000-04:00

So last week I had another "banner" week of freebies and some great finds!

First, I won these 2 awesome items!

This absolutely ADORABLE lion backpack is made by Busy Little Hands & she even customized it with my son's name! It arrived in time for his 2nd birthday, too! ♥♥

This super cute t-shirt is made by Love Always, xox and will look mighty handsome on my little man!

She was also sweet enough to include some handmade tags which you can also buy in her shop!

The same day I received the t-shirt in the mail, I received this:

Yep! A nice, crisp REAL 5 dollar bill! All for filling out some silly television survey. Woo Hoo!

And just today, I received my new glasses I got from Coastal Contacts! The frames were FREE!! If my eyesight wasn't so dang poor all of it would've been free but since I am blind as a bat, well, I had to pay some, but believe me, they were a WHOLE LOT cheaper than what I normally pay at the eye doctor. (And this was without going through insurance!) I can still file the bill with my insurance company and get money back...so these could turn out to be free. ☺

Now for a few "goodies" I got for rock bottom prices!

I ♥ the Carters shopping outlet in Pigeon Forge, TN... but not the one at Tanger Outlets. No ma'am! Go to the old red roof outlet area. THAT is where the bargains are! And always ALWAYS go upstairs!

That's right... This dandy sleeper cost me $3.99 -- originally $20.00!

I also got this:

You read that right -- Paid $7.99 for a $28.00 item! Woo Hoo! I KNOW you know someone who is expecting -- get shopping ladies!

Finally... I got to steal!

From Baby Steals that is!

This goes for $32.00 and I picked it up for $15.00 SHIPPED! Yee Haw! I was one happy girl!

Now tell me.... what good deals have YOU found lately? ☺

Counting it all joy,

Angela

P.S. Don't forget to enter my CONTEST!! I will be drawing the winner THIS THURSDAY, March 24th!!

Scroll down to the Contest Anyone? post and ENTER THERE!! Winner gets 2 5x7 prints of their choice!! Good Luck!

Spring Auction to Support Adoption

2011-03-21T09:51:00.001-04:00

No, not an adoption we are doing (although, if you know me, we've been down that road... which led us to Lucas, a child I birthed 2 years & 1 day ago!). God leads us down some twisty roads sometimes but always in the right direction. ☺

This auction is for a beautiful couple named Desiree & Aaron & their family. Please check out their blog:
.Simply.Simon

They are raising funds for their adoption from Ethiopia. They have a lot of gorgeous items up for auction including 2 of my prints...

I encourage you to go check out the items on the list - it's a doozy, though, so be ready to be there for awhile! It is so worth looking through!! Stay a little longer and read about why they are adopting from Africa.

As to why they are adopting when they already have 2 children "of their own," --

"We want to adopt for many reasons. One, we would like a bigger family. And this is one way to expand it. Another reason is the need for adoptive parents is high. There are over 140 million orphans in the world today (I saw one statistic that said over 160 million), million. The need is overwhelming to think about. I know that adoption is not the only answer, but it is one way to help.
I want to make this very clear though, as implications have been made..., we are not adopting out of charity or because it's a "good-deed". Adoption is not about removing a child from poverty so that they can have a better life full of material wealth. It’s about creating a family for a child. We believe we can provide an atmosphere of love for any child that comes into our home.
The biggest reason for wanting to adopt is the fact that God has put this on our hearts. God calls us to take care of the orphans and widows. He has called us to. It is all I (Desiree) think about. And I know that passion is from the Lord. I also know that I need to be obedient to what God wants me to do. This is His will for me and I trust that He alone knows what is best for our family."

So please check out their Spring Auction! And be sure to tell them Angela's Heartwork sent you!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

My Baby is Growing Up...

2011-03-16T13:19:00.000-04:00

Lucas at 2 days old.

Lucas - 5 months.

Lucas - 7 months.

Lucas - 8 months

Lucas - 9 months

10 months

1 year!

13 months.

14 months

15 months

16 months

18 months

19 months

21 months

22 months

23 months

1 week from turning 2!

Yes, my little boy is growing up. And I am so proud of him! I can only imagine how much prouder I will be as the years go on. He has the sweetest soul of any child I have ever met. He genuinely cares about others & is quick to make sure his friends are all right if they are crying or upset. If he sees a PHOTO of a child with a "boo boo," he gets upset. It is too sweet.

I have so many hopes and aspirations for my son. But what I want most for him is to be full of JOY. I pray he never loses the sweetness he has & his need to comfort and care for others.

I am so proud of my son. And I thank God for him every single day.

I love you, Lucas, my baby, my wiggle worm, my little monkey-toed boy, to infinity and beyond. My cup overfloweth.

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Sew....

2011-03-14T22:54:00.001-04:00

You Needle Little Gift You Say?

Perhaps for a baby shower? Or maybe your little sweet child is having a birthday? Or Easter is coming up and you want something cute for him/her to wear?

Well I have the PERFECT place for you to go! AND, she's having a CONTEST! Woo Hoo!

Click here to see the details: Sew You Needle Little Gift Contest!

This adorable set has just been added to her Etsy shop: Sew You Needle Little Gift

Her work is amazing and if you don't see what you are looking for... just ask! Chances are, she can make it for you! Plus, she embroiders! That precious photo at the top of this page? The "E" and the "L" are embroidered onto the too cute pumpkins. They totally make the t-shirts, don't they? ☺

And how stinkin' adorable is this bunny? Bunny Silhouette

You can get it on a onesie or a T-shirt! Want your child's name on it? Just let her know!

I can tell you from experience that her work is phenomenal and they make excellent gifts. I love giving onesies that are handmade and personal... but I can't sew worth a lick. Believe me, I've tried. I had to take my shirt off afterward because it was sewed to the pillow I was putting together. It wasn't a pretty sight.

So if you are anything like me, run, don't walk, to Sew You Needle Little Gift and start shopping!

First, though, head over to her Blog and get all the details on her giveaway!

Be sure to tell her Angela's Heartwork sent you!

And don't forget that I have a contest going on, too! It's a few posts below, but be sure to enter!!! Mine ends on March 23rd!

Counting it all joy,

Angela

Dirty Little Secret?

2011-03-11T16:15:00.000-05:00

Shhhh!! I have a secret I want to share with you. It's so embarrassing. {Covers my face in shame.} But I have learned that sometimes one must just come out & admit to others their "secrets." So, here it goes,

(Lord, give me the strength to type this out and not delete the whole thing!!)

Okay. here it is. I promise.

I wear the same bra every day.

There. It's out there! SIGH. {Covers eyes... peeks through little opening of her fingers.} Is anyone still reading this, I wonder? Or have you all run scurrying for the hills?

Whatever. I'm a mom. This bra is comfortable. I should really go out and buy another one, like the EXACT SAME KIND. But knowing my luck, they won't have it. Besides that, I'm a ~~cheapskate~~ frugal. I have other bras in my drawer but they just don't have that "worn in" feel that spells c-o-m-f-o-r-t. Others have this weird lacy thing going on the strap and I'm like, WTH. If it isn't peeking out my shirt, it's making me itch like crazy & I just have enough issues to deal with all day than an itchy bra.

Besides, my son seems to approve of my bra.

Now, don't get me wrong. I do wash it. But, again, I admit, it doesn't make it into the wash EVERY week. If my boobs are having an over the top sweat week, then, yes, it gets washed more often. Thankfully it's been a longer winter than normal. ☺ Plus, if I don't have to leave the house, why bother wearing one at all?!

Hmmm... maybe this was TMI or maybe you can relate? Go ahead, share, spill your guts (or your boobs, whatever!). I won't judge. I might giggle... but I'm sure you did the same.

Counting it all joy,

1 lonely comfy bra at a time,

Angela

Contest Anyone?

2011-03-08T15:23:00.002-05:00

Who doesn't like a chance to win something? If you know me, you know I do! But I also LOVE to give things away, too. {Seriously, I do!}

And with that, I want you to hurry your pretty little booty's over to Facebook and love on He Works I Save. Not only is her page AWESOME, but she is having a stupendous giveaway for reaching 200 fans!

One of those fantastic giveaways includes not 1 but 2 5x7 prints of your choice from Angela's Heartwork. {Yep, that's me!}

You know you want one... or two. Maybe you want to SHARE one of those prints with someone you love... kind of like a Pay It Forward. Or maybe you want to hoard both for yourself. Whatever makes you happy. I won't judge you. {Really, I won't!}

What I would LOVE for you to do, however, is SHARE this info with your friends. {Yes, sharing is GOOD!} There is even a DISCOUNT CODE if you decide to just purchase a print or 2, or 3, or 10. {10 is a great number.} Between NOW and MARCH 15th, you can get 15% off your entire order (minus shipping & handling, which, if you look at my shop, is meager) with coupon code HWIS15.

Share the love, my friends! Post on Facebook, Twitter, your blog.

Here's what I'll do if you share the love... I'll do ANOTHER contest. Yep, I JUST DECIDED THAT! Spur of the moment, fly by the seat of my pants girl... that's what I am!

You will get one entry for each of the following items:

1.) Go to my Etsy shop and post in the comments what print you LOVE.

2.) Go to Facebook and LIKE Angela's Heartwork on Facebook then come back here and comment below that you have done just that.

3.) Become a Follower of Angela's Heartwork Blog and Post Below that you are following me.

4.) Follow me on Twitter! My Twitter name is Angelasheartwrk Post below that you are following me and what your Twitter name is.

Get 2 ENTRIES if you:

5.) Blog about this contest then post below your blog address.

6.) Post this contest on your Facebook page - personal or business, then post below that you did so.

So you can get a total of 8 entries if you do ALL of the above on top of taking part in the He Works I Save contest.

If you win THIS contest, you will get.... your choice of 2 prints, also. Again, 5x7. How's that? ♥

This contest will run until March 23rd!

Counting it all joy,

Angela