Oh Irving....

It is almost Thanksgiving!!!! I am so excited. I don't know what you are doing for turkey day, but I hope that you have a great time doing it. As for me, I will be feasting with 30 of my closest friends and family at my Aunt and Uncle's house. I will also be doing a creative presentation on the history of Thanksgiving. Don't be jealous, my family is just obviously that cool.
Creative presentations aside, I am so looking forward to wearing some of my comfiest/cutest clothes, eating delicious food, and communing with my favorite people while we reflect on all the blessings in our lives. Just by that day I will be truly blessed.

Anyway, the title of this post says it all. Granted, I borrowed the line from the ever-eloquent Irving Berlin. But I find it to be so true. The world we are living in is such a volatile place- it's ever shifting, ego-centric, scary place. And there are a lot of days that I find myself lamenting the state of things and feeling helpless and angry that I can't change it. I can't grab people by the shoulders and shake them to their senses, and even if I could what right do I have? I don't have all the answers.


What I do know is this: I just deleted a whole rant about people and how disappointing they are when it comes to social causes. And I am really glad I did. Because I got to the end of it and I realized something.
I didn't feel any better.
I was just as bad as the rest of them if I wasn't willing to do more than just write a post on a blog that no one follows.
I am disgusted at the self-centeredness of our society, but am, at the same time, defining it so perfectly with my own egocentric rantings about others. How others need to take a stand, need to shut up and stand up. But how dare I accuse them of doing exactly what I just was.

That is what makes me so sad about America- because at the end of the day I am just as guilty as the rest. And perhaps that's why we are turned around right now- because we have been relying too long on others to get up and go for us when what we really need is to do it ourselves.
That is when real change will happen. That is when real good will prevail.

So today, instead of ranting about schools and politics and welfare, I choose to focus on what I have to be thankful for. I have a loving family, a job, great friends, always enough to eat, a car and money to put gas in it. I have freedom to go anywhere and do anything I can dream of. I have the right to post what I think online without fear or persecution or imprisonment. I can "grow up" to be whatever I want to be. Most of all, I am saved and cherished by a God who loves me, good days and bad, and has a plan for me and my life. He even loved me (and you!) enough to send his own son to the death to pay the price set on my head from the day I was born.

I am truly blessed. And I bet you are too. Even on your worst day, there is always a silver lining. What do you have to be thankful for today, and everyday?


Also, for those of you, my non-existent followers, that would love some crafty updates, just hold on a few more days. My mom and I are making cards AND decorations this weekend, and I promise to keep you informed! Here is a sneak peek of what we've already done a test run on... :-)

It's a trifold card! And it still fits in a regular envelope. Looks complicated, was so easy. Just make sure you're wearing your patient cap when it's time to cut out all the precisely measured pieces. You can find the tutorial we used here, from the blog "Busy With The Cricky."


Have a great Thanksgiving folks! I am thankful for you :-)

Ode to November

Ok, don't judge.
I know I've been terrible about updating this guy. You've missed countless favorite things thursdays, and I know you all care so much about what I like, so...

Just know I've been thinking about you! I haven't forgotten. Every time I open my internet browser the screen shot of my blog glares at me and says "update me! update me!" in that little voice that cartoon characters get when they shrink down to pea size. Yeah, it's that dramatic. Every time.

But a new leaf is turned! It's FINALLY November which is great for a few reasons.

1) It means that October is OVER! I had so much going on in October it wasn't even funny. We hosted our statewide youth convention at our church, we put on our biggest event of the year for our own youth group AND somehow, amidst the exhaustion, I managed to get my stuff together and move. It was amazing. So even though November pretty much kicks off the crazy Christmas stuff for me, it will seem like a piece of cake compared to October 2012 for this girl.

2) November means Thanksgiving! I love Thanksgiving. I get to see my family, I get to eat super delicious food. But the best thing I love about Thanksgiving is that it reminds me to be thankful. I love the history of Thanksgiving and how it means something different to everyone. I'm blessed with a family that loves a pretty idyllic day- kids table, all the fixings, board games, etc. But I'm also blessed with a family that knows how much we have to be thankful for, and I always end up having some really great conversations with my relatives about life. It makes for one of my most favorite family gatherings all year.

3) November means the election is almost over. Whoever wins, no matter what, it just means that the political ads will finally be over, and that's all I have to say on that subject.


I'm sure I could go on and on about all the things I love about November, but I also don't want to bore anyone, so I won't.
p.s. you're welcome.


Since my last favorite things post was in July, I thought I would just give you a short list of some of my favorite things that would have maybe probably most likely been featured if I hadn't been so lazy. The following are a few of my favorite things.

• tribal design jewelry
• sweet potato pie (never had it before this year! tragedy!)
• my new kate spade phone cover (it's beautiful)
• the amazing things you can do with yarn (this is from the youth event previously mentioned)
• the constant flow of 40% one item coupons from Michaels... all accessible on my iPhone.
• Trader Joe's White Cheddar Corn Puffs. SO GOOD.
• clutch wallets, especially sparkly ones.
• my mustache's from history mug
• "What to Expect When You're Expecting," the movie. One of the funniest I've seen lately.

So that's really all you missed! Not anything life changing, I'm sure. Except maybe those white cheddar corn puffs... mmm.

Without trying to go overboard on all the holidays at once, I am happy to announce that I have officially started planning my Christmas gifts. We do three different drawings between my two sides of family, plus the usual friends and close family to buy for, so early planning is essential. Especially when you have my father for TWO of them. The man doesn't want anything! I'll figure something out, I know, and it will probably be food oriented.

Gifts being said, there are some relatives of mine that have a far better chance of seeing this than others. Example: my little brother might try and snoop on here to figure out what he's getting from me (fat chance, sucker!) but my grandmother has never used a computer and has no interest in doing so, therefore I can post all I like about her gifts because she won't find out! My family is good at secret keeping, so don't worry about that. :-)

I have some really cute ideas brewing on holiday things, and I officially started a Pinterest board dedicated to Christmas. I resisted for a long time... I wanted to reject the notion that I couldn't just lump my Christmas crafts with my regular crafts, but alas, this categorical brain of mine rejected my rejection.  It happens, ok?

Bottom line, I'm happy to be back! And get ready for some ultra-cute and super-thrifty ways to celebrate and gift to people this season! But don't forget to enjoy November while it's here :-)

What is your favorite part of November?

favorite things thursday

It's that time again! It is the third thursday of the month, and we all know what that means: ITS FAVORITE THINGS TIME!

I don't know about you, but the weather here in Oregon has been really strange the past week. Last weekend was simply lovely, even though I got burnt to an absolute crisp, but since Sunday it has been cloudy, humid, and never over 80 degrees. Very odd for this time of year. But I am handling it pretty well. And by pretty well, I mean I haven't melted to a puddle or been cranky (as heat has been known to do to me.)

This favorite things post has a lot to talk about today, partly because a week ago I had an actual favorite things party! It was so much fun, and everyone had a great time!

Here are some of the highlights:

The food: deconstructed caesar salad. mini greek chicken pitas with tzatziki sauce. caramelized onion dip (OMG DELISH.) circus {animal cookie} truffles. lemonade and iced tea. oven roasted potatoes.

the favorite things: world market earrings. Avon smudge corrector nail polish and mustache stickers (that was me!) Joe-Joes and citrus fruit gum drops from Trader Joe's. Memo pad, fine point sharpie, and Voss water. Mini stamps, chocolates and bottled Frappuccinos. Watchamacalit candy bars. Olay super moisturizing body wash. Bath and Body works candles and a toothbrush (from my roommate who just got accepted to dental hygienist school-super cute.) Tropical fruit skittles. Neon nail polish and a file.

I made the brown paper packages tied up with strings so that everyone could take their favorite things home in a cute bag, and also the little cards to say what each food was. You can find recipes and tutorials for most of those things on my Pinterest board "Party-tastic."(http://pinterest.com/caitlinsfortune/party-tastic) 

Which, by the way, if you aren't following me on Pinterest, please do! I only pin the good things :-)

I know I just had a whole party about favorite things, but I had some serious hard decisions to make for this installment of Favorite Things Thursday. After a lot of thought and some deep personal searching, I have picked my official favorite things for July.

1) Stephen Fry in America

 Stephen Fry in America is a six episode mini-series documentary from the BBC that takes you on a journey through all fifty states, as seen through the eyes of a non-American citizen. While he has gained quite a bit of fame and fortune in America for his bit parts and writer/director roles, he is known throughout Europe for his wit, his refined taste, exceptional education and use of it, and for being a general and well loved man-about-town.
This television series, available on DVD and through Netflix instant, is a unique and wonderful look at the land of the free. Fry embarks on a cross country odyssey having recently learned that he was almost born in America instead of in Britain; or as he so eloquently puts it, "a Steve rather than a Stephen." To see America from an outsiders point of view is rather interesting, and it gives you a glimpse into some of the lesser-known parts and habits of the country. Plus, it leaves you talking in a British accent, and there is nothing wrong with that!

2) anchor jewelry
I know I am not alone in loving the new trend for anchors in fashion. I have been fascinated with them for a while, and not just because nautical things are cool (although I do adore my blue and white stripes...)
I fell in love with anchors almost a year ago because of this.
Hebrews 6:19 "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."

That verse has lifted me up and stuck in my soul ever since I read it. So when my birthday came up about six months ago, one of my dear friends got me a small, bronze necklace with an anchor on it from Forever 21. I have loved it so, and made this little guy to go with it.

I have gotten so many compliments on it, and once I started making them for friends THEY started getting so many compliments! As well has being fashionable, they are also meaningful for me, which is why I love them.

3) greek chicken
This is the only food item from my Favorite Things party that I don't have a recipe for on Pinterest, and that is because my mom invented it.

Okay, I know she didn't invent Greek flavors, and God knows she didn't invent the chicken. But what I mean to say is that she made up this recipe, and it is one of our family's all time favorites.
It is delicious any way you cook it: barbecue, oven baked, skewered, sautéed, anything. Hot or cold, by itself or on a salad, or in a sandwich... the list literally never ends. And, bonus, it is SO EASY.
See for yourself:

Greek Chicken

1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. dried Rosemary
1 tsp. Basil
1/4 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, minced

Mix all ingredients.  Marinade for about 3 pounds of chicken.  Drain marinade prior to grilling.
Could also be oven baked at 375 until juice runs pink from chicken.
For best results, marinade overnight.

When I made it for my party, I baked it and served it on these adorable (and tasty) mini pitas I got at Trader Joe's with tzatziki sauce from Open Nature and a diced tomato/cucumber mixture.

The other best use for this recipe is to make the marinade but leave a little bit out from the chicken. With the left out marinade, slice up good french bread and brush it on both sides. Grill until the little black grill marks appear but bread it soft. Oh my word it is good. We dice the bread up and mix it with the chicken, kalamata olives, romaine lettuce and a light balsamic vinaigrette. You'll never want to eat anything else again.


So there we are, another Favorite Things Thursday!
What are your favorite things this month?

celebrate america

This is a strange week.
It was kind of like a holiday weekend because of the Fourth of July, and although I worked at a car wash for the first half of the day on Saturday, I went to a first birthday party later that afternoon and then rented a movie and relaxed the rest of the day. Sunday was probably my favorite service all year long at church: we call it "Celebrate America." It is so AWESOME! Not until I started attending my church 3 years ago did I realize how much of a sucker I am for grand displays of patriotism.
We deck the sanctuary out in bunting and flags, and the choir prepares a medley of traditional American songs. We always have a guest speaker who has served in the military at some point, and we honor all the men and women of our congregation that have, past or present, served our country.

It is easy to get caught up in politics and tradition and the spectacle that Independence Day becomes. We get so focused on the picnics and the flags and the barbecues and the sparklers that we forget what the day is really about. As I looked around the service on Sunday, and even as I looked at my own reaction to the events, I realized that there is a stark contrast of the appreciation for freedom between my generation and older ones. I don't know if it is because they have lived through things and witnessed things in America that my peers can't imagine, or if it is because we are more inclined to mockery and sarcasm than previous generations.
I am a former history major and someone who grew up on PBS and documentaries. I am someone who loved American history from a very early age, and was the girl that idolized Ken Burns and Garrison Keillor but could have cared less for popular artists or celebrities of the day. As such, it hurt my feelings when people couldn't name at least half the states or place them on a map. It astonished me when people, adults even, didn't understand a basic timeline of American events. It drove me nuts when people couldn't even sing the National Anthem correctly or recite the pledge of allegiance. How could you not know? From my recollection, elementary school wasn't that hard. More than that, how could you not CARE?

Even I fell into the apathy trap. I stopped being shocked when people didn't know what I had always taken for granted as general knowledge. I gave in to the reality that most people didn't care. We are country that has so many distorted values, acknowledges that they exist and that we need to change them, but then does shockingly little about any of it. We are resigned to appreciate mediocrity on so many levels.
But in that service on Sunday, I realized that I do care. I am thankful for our nation, and as messed up as everything feels sometimes (don't get me started on the education system...) the fact stands that I live in a prosperous nation. I happened to be born in a country that is idealistic to a fault. But I would rather live with the sometimes foolish notion that any dream I have can and will come true if I am willing to buckle down and do the work than to feel hopeless or that no matter how hard I try it will never pay off.

My favorite part of the service was when we prayed for our country. I understand how powerless you can feel in such a big country, and with so many decisions really being out of your hands. But if I want something to be different, and I want it to change, I have to do what I can, how I can. And sometimes all you have left to do is pray.

"The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live."
1 Timothy 2:1-3 (MSG)

So I will be praying for my country. I will be praying for my leaders, national and local. I will be praying for a new revelation in the young people of the nation, for good leadership, for good choices, and for a new reverence and appreciation of freedom. Tomorrow, I am going to sleep in and then go to a barbecue with good friends, and we will watch some fireworks while we eat s'mores. But I can only do that because I am an American, and I am beyond blessed to be one.

treat yo' self

Before we go any further, it is extremely important that you watch the following 25 second video. I know that it is a lot to ask of you, since we aren't really video BFF's yet, but we will be. Just... just do it. Consider it backround information vital to the rest of the blog. And also laugh, because laughing is good for you. So saith me.

See! I told you it was funny!

It was a few months ago that this clip kept coming to mind. And why wouldn't it? Parks and Rec is hilarious, and I am oh so glad that it just keeps getting good ratings, because when I like a TV show it almost always means it is going to get cancelled. But not this time! At least not for now... hopefully I didn't just jinx it.

ANYWAY. Beside the point. Although not really. Just keep reading to find out.

The concept of Treat Yo' Self is something that my friend Alyson and I adopted almost immediately. We started saying it for anything and everything. 

Diet coke sounded good? TREAT YO SELF. 

Like a pair of earrings? TREAT YO SELF.

Feel like going to the craft store for no reason? TREAT YO SELF. 

Go to the movies and pay full price for the ticket AND popcorn? TREAT YO SELF.

Want to wear sweats to the store? Don't treat yo self. No. I am staunchly against this. After all, you should never leave the house unless you are prepared to meet an old enemy or a dashing stranger.

All of the treating, amazingly, didn't get out of hand. But we did realize that we had been finding ways to deny ourselves simple joys by not indulging little whims. We were responsible with our treating- if we couldn't afford a shopping spree, we obviously didn't go. But if we wanted a milkshake once a month and the only reason we weren't having it was because we didn't have a "real" reason to, well that was silly. So TREAT YO SELF became a part of our lives.

It was no surprise then when I was driving one day and I decided that the girls in our youth ministry needed a reminder of how much God loves them, and that the event should be called "TREAT YO SELF." So Alyson and I got to work on gathering donations for manicures, pedicures, cupcakes, friendship bracelets and all sorts of fun girl activities. Since we work with girls from middle school all the way through college, we wanted to keep it classy but fun. So we turned our gym into a spa and invited all the girls to come treat themselves to an afternoon of pampering. Here is what we ended up with.

The straws I made to go with the lemonade punch        Our box centerpieces for elevated cupcakes

All the girls while we were wrapping up                       The bracelets we made

It was a great success. Fun was had by all! And it was so simple. It doesn't look like much, and it is hard to completely transform a big space like that, but the girls got the message: God loves them, and they are valued by the people around them :-)

p.s. sidebar: I arrived at my parents house tonight to find that my little brother (he's not little... I guess. He is 13. But he will always be my little brother.) had gotten me this pillow. It is one of my new favorite things :-)

Happy weekend!

these are a few of my favorite things

Wow, it has been a hectic few weeks!
Amid all the craziness of running a new program, school getting out, and like eight thousand family events, I am back.

AND I am starting a new feature on my blog!

This is an idea I got from a morning radio show a few weeks ago, which I never usually listen to. But on this particular day, I had forgotten my iPod. As I was flipping through the stations looking for anything that my overly critical musical tastes might actually enjoy. Instead, I found a morning show, and what they were saying really caught my attention. One of the guys was talking about his 6 year old daughter, and how she had asked him what he was most "into" in that moment. He answered generically with family and work, but she was not satisfied. She told him it had to be things and trends that he was particularly taken with at that moment in time; that no matter who he was talking to these things seemed to always come up. I loved her examples: doll shoes, Justin Bieber's new album, and miniature hand soaps.

I have been intrigued with this conversation topic for a few weeks now, but everyone I try to explain it to just gives me a funny look and doesn't really get it. Which is when it dawned on me: it is hard to actually talk about casually, but it is PERFECT for my blog!

So from now on, the third Thursday of each month will be Favorite Things Thursday! I will list the three things I have not been able to stop talking about for the last four weeks. You get the point :-)

So I am proud to announce the first ever FAVORITE THINGS THURSDAY! Yes, I know it is Tuesday. But I am just so darn excited about this, it couldn't wait anymore. I promise from now on they will be on Thursdays :-) Enjoy the ramblings of my crazy brain and the things that it seems to like the most.

1) minty nail polish

Mint has been the biggest trend of the summer so far, and I have been just as into it as everyone else. Pretty much every store I go into I get magnet-pulled toward minty things- even my iPhone cover is mint. But in the midst of the deep mint sea we are swimming in, I have found one particular thing that I love above all else: mint nail polish. I have loved it so much that I have gone through three different kinds in the last year finding my very favorite shade. Finally, I found "Re-Freshmint" by China Glaze.

It is perfect! I first found it when I was getting a pedicure for my BFF's wedding in April. I wanted something fun and springy, and this little gem popped right off the wall at me. It isn't too green, and even in some lights it looks slightly blue. And, bonus, it looks just as good on tan skin as it does on my pasty white exterior. I can't even tell you how many compliments this nail polish gets. It goes for about $7 a bottle, which is more than I am usually willing to pay for polish: I paint my nails so often (about twice a week) that it is pointless to get anything more than $2 polish. But for this shade, I was willing to make a concession :-)

2) pic-stitch

Pic-Stitch is a super handy little app. If you are like me, you love to take pictures of various events and happenings in your life and then share them with the rest of the world. I know they are all waiting with baited breath to see what I am eating for dinner ;-)

Here is an example of how handy my new fave app is: Last weekend we took my dad putt putt golfing for fathers day, and I took about 6 pictures of us and the gorgeous water-feature-only course. I wanted to share the event with my expectant public (ha!) but how was I supposed to choose one picture? I wanted one of the score card so that I could show off my skillz (yeah, with a z.) but I also wanted one of the sweet waterfall, or maybe one of the man we were celebrating. Enter pic-stitch! It allows you to combine several different photos into a variety of different arrangements for between 2 and 4 photos. Mine looked like this:

The family, the scenery, and the scorecard- plus I only had to tweet once! Pic-stitch also will export your creation directly to any other photo app you like, including Instagram. I whipped this sucker up in about 3 minutes- with easy to use features and in-app editing tools, I can't get enough of pic-stitch.

3) silhouettes

I am a craft geek. I love paper, scissors, chip board, modge-podge, all of it. A few years ago, my family was at Disneyland and my aunt had silhouettes cut of her two daughters. My mom toyed with the idea, but they were expensive and not all of her children were present, so she passed on the opportunity. On the plane ride home she said the only thing she wished she would have done was get those silhouettes cut of my brother and I. Being the amazing and thoughtful daughter that I am, I promptly filed that little bit of info away into my brain. Sure enough, two months later, my mom got not one, not two, but SIX custom and framed silhouettes- one of each child, one of all three of us together, one of my parents first dance at their wedding, and one of the dog. The bug was caught. I haven't been able to get over them since. I love the way they look. So clean, so classic, so beautiful. I even ventured into scenery and words- I made this for an old teacher last week:

I am also working on a silhouette necklace, but cutting something that small and that delicate is taking much more time than I had originally planned. I will post it as soon as I finish it :-) While I am not at expert level yet (where you just look at a person and cut their silhouette as they sit there and pose for you) I have recently purchased some special tools for better outline cutting- like a swivel-head Xacto knife. And it won't stop there. I just ordered "Silhouette Art: Papers, Instructions and Patterns for Making Modern Heirlooms" from Amazon.com and can't WAIT for it to get here. In the mean time, I will just keep drooling over silhouettes on Pinterest :-)

So there you have it! Favorite Things Tuesday is going to be so much fun. Next month, my roommates and I are having a favorite things party! I can't wait to tell you all about it. 

What are a few of your favorite things right now?

refreshing, a double take

Day four, and we're not doing too shabby. I have posted every day, and can definitely see myself carrying this thing through for a long run :-)

And the upside is that even if no one ever reads this, no one ever cares, that writing is fun for me. Especially because I can write about the things that I love. 

Sometimes I feel like I work all day, and sometimes all night, juggling ideas and laying out schedules and managing my own little life. It feels crazy some days, and sometimes it is pure fun, but anytime you are dealing with people it can be emotionally exhausting.

How I would normally deal with emotional exhaustion: 

1) It most likely involves wearing sweatpants, which I refuse to wear in public. Like it is a stretch for me to want to wear them to the gym. (My mom always said you must be prepared to meet an old enemy or a dashing stranger.) So when I get an afternoon or evening to myself, sweatpants and an old junky shirt are the first thing I accomplish.

2) Hole up in my room with a season of one of my favorite shows or a few magazines or maybe just a book of crosswords. This only seems to work for about 3 hours max, then my brain either stops functioning completely and I fall asleep (usually drooling) OR it goes into hyper drive and I get crazy productive.

3) Junk food. Terrible for me, makes me feel awful. But there is nothing like some kind of total carb food to calm my nerves and mind. (Note: this is where the cheese sauce from two posts ago comes in to play as a weapon. I have hidden the cheese before.)

While I haven't given up all of those things completely, it seems to be somehow super freeing to put something down here. It makes me feel productive without doing job stuff. This is just for me. And I love it!

Now I have gotten way off track.

My original intent for this post was to talk about my desk. I love my desk- for the past 15 years of my life it has served as anything you could possibly imagine a flat surface would need to be used for. Crafting, homework, breakfast/lunch/snack/dinner/dessert table, manicure station, display space, workspace, head space, I think I even fell asleep on it once. All of the above and more.

I recently revamped my desk.

It was white. So I, much to the peril of my roommates, sanded it and painted it black without moving it off the carpet in our apartment. (don't worry, I put a tarp down. I'm not completely insane, especially when our security deposit is at stake.)

I took the computer off and stacked it neatly in the corner. I have yet to upgrade from my college computer, which is a desktop. But since I spend most of my time at work and I have several available computers there, plus a phone that I can get email on, I have pretty much stopped using it all together.

I added a few new things, like a more adult pencil holder than the old fashioned sundae glass that I used to have, and the zen garden my Aunt made me for christmas. 

I cleared the clutter, reorganized drawers, gave everything a place and subsequently put it in that place.

Here's what it looks like now:

Now it's more conducive to crafts, and I actually hung my magnet board (and the chalkboard from the last post) above it to feel even more organized and productive and awesome.

Try not to be jealous, it is pretty great :-)

Next time, I'll show you my closet. And by closet I mean I will hide all the crazy boxes, and just show you how I converted my dresser into a vanity. You're going to love it, or so I assume, because I enjoy it quite a bit.

My next post should be about my latest craft, and I have something special planned for Mother's day. Oh oh oh just get ready, because I am stoked :-)

multi-tasker

Romans 12:11-12
"Do not be slothful in business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing always in prayer."

This verse has really been speaking to me lately. Our pastor used it in a sermon a few months ago- not as a main point but as kind of an afterthought story he put in about his college days. Yet it has stuck with me so thoroughly the past few months.
I put it on the chalkboard above my desk, intending that it would be the sort of thing that I would update ever week or so with new quotes or verses or whatever... but I haven't yet been able to erase it.

I think that has to do with a few things.

One, I know that when God speaks, it isn't necessarily all at once. When He first called me into the ministry, it took over a year for a plan to come forth and a path to be set- so all I had for a year to go on was what God told me at a conference: "You can't go back to school next year. Trust me, and I'll show you the way."
So when I put that verse on the board, at first I was particularly drawn to "do not be slothful in business." Get to it! Whatever it is, hop up and get going. Words that I desperately needed to hear a few months back. Now, my favorite part is "continuing always in prayer."
Our intern team has been working through a reading plan that includes increased prayer time and meditation, something that is super hard for me. I live a fast paced life and always have another thing on the plate- I very much tend toward the "we can pray when the work is done" attitude, and I have been trying to turn myself from it. But what God has really been showing me lately is that He demands ALL of my time. He doesn't want me to sit in an empty room all day, He wants me to be productive and active in ministry, in work, in friendships, in family, in hobbies- in everything. So that means multi-tasking.

Oh, and not to mention that verse in 1 Thessalonians about praying without ceasing.

I can pray in the car. I can talk to God in the shower. I can even praise God while I am cleaning the house. There are so many times in a day that I, for whatever reason, have not seen as potential times of connecting with God! There are also things I can't double task on, like watching TV or having a conversation with someone. But I am also learning to prioritize those things, choosing not to turn on the television or settle in for another Pinterest session without making sure I have put in time with my savior.

And trust me, it has made each day better when I do.

my night in, or: nail polish and cheese sauce

Tuesdays have become some of my favorite days. Wednesday is most often my busiest day at work since our youth service is that night, but Tuesdays is just work and low key meetings with our intern team, then I get to go home BEFORE 6pm. Usually I fill the evening with all the errands I need to run or go grocery shopping, but last night I just stayed in and did laundry.

I know, boring.

But here's the thing. While the laundry was on, I did three of my favorite things.
1) Made homemade cheese sauce
2) Painted my fingernails
3) Watched the West Wing

I have made it my mission to get really good at making homemade cheese sauce. I have a crazy deep love for good cheese, but my palate is obviously not discerning enough to dislike the jar of cheese-ish goop that you can only get at low-price grocery stores. Which I still love, but it is pretty terrible for you, and I'm pretty sure could act as some kind of glue in a pinch.
Anyway.
I found and subsequently modified a recipe about 6 months ago, and I haven't bought my beloved jar of cheese since.

Super Cheese Sauce
makes 2 servings

1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 Tablespoon flour
3/4 cup milk
10 ounces, your choice of cheese, grated
Optional: I like to add some minced garlic if I am feeling particularly crazy, but you don't have to.

Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat.
When melted, add flour and stir until there is basically a nice paste going on.
Add milk, blend with butter/flour mixture until smooth. (p.s. I forgot to tell you, you'll want a whisk and to be ready for a lot of stirring. A lot. but worth it, I promise!)
Slowly add your grated cheese, one half handful at a time. Stir until totally melted, then add more cheese. Keep stirring until smooth, then remove from heat for 5-10 minutes to thicken.

Oh my gosh it's good.
I do a little more butter and cheese and a little less milk than the original recipe... it seems to make it creamier.

Here is my favorite part: It works just as well with nonfat milk and margarine as it does with half and half and butter. Let arteries everywhere rejoice!

What can you use Super Cheese Sauce for, you ask? Here is a short list of ways I have used it.

1) With pasta. Just cook up some of your favorite pasta (I like whole wheat shells myself) and pour it over that. Simple and delicious!
2) With soft pretzels. My friend Sarah and I made some homemade pretzels a few weeks ago and she was going to serve them with plain mustard. Gasp! And opportunity for cheese that was not being utilized. I whipped this sucker up with some sharp cheddar and it was perfect.
3) Baked mac and cheese. I think I quadrupled the recipe, added MOSTLY cooked pasta, put it all in a 9x13 dish with crushed saltines and more shredded cheese on top and put it in the oven for half an hour at 35o degrees. A huge success.

4) Baked potatoes. We had a family gathering a few months ago where we all had to bring our favorite baked potato topping- this was a HIT.
5) Plain. Not my proudest confession, but so good. I can't be ashamed of the cheesy goodness!

People have also suggested nachos, broccoli and cauliflower, french fries, with eggs, or on sandwiches. I'm sure all of the above would be delicious. Try this recipe, experiment with your own blend of cheeses, and tell me what you would use cheese sauce on!

ready, set...

This is the inaugural post of my very own blog. To be honest, I have always wanted to start a blog, but a variety of things have stopped me in the past. I feel like I have things to say and to share, but I just never had the confidence to put them into words before.
But here I am!

Basically, I want this to be an uplifting blog. It will include all sorts of awesome things that I love, and not every post will be the same thing. It will be about walking with God, but also crafts and cooking and who knows what else. All I can say is that I am excited.

So! Lets just be honest with each other from the beginning.

There are some things you need to know about me.

1) I love the Lord. That is the one thing I won't compromise on! This doesn't make me a bible wielding, holier-than-thou nightmare however, and I sure as heck won't force it on anyone. Just be warned! I work at a church and spend the majority of my time working for and with a youth group. I love my job, and it is undoubtedly going to spill into this :-)

2) I do not spend hours crafting... all the time. I have a job, I volunteer about 40 hours a week with a youth ministry team, I love my friends, and I live an hour away from my family, so I spend a lot of my precious free time either sleeping or with the people I love. But I day dream about crafts and cooking like nobody's business, and I will post them as often as I can!

3) Sometimes, I am not very patient about cutting straight lines. I use "mostly exact" measurements when I cook. I experiment with, rearrange, switch out and modify patterns, recipes and ideas whenever I need to. I live in a small apartment with two roommates, and space and/or supplies might be limited.  Just know when I post a tutorial of some kind, I am a big fan of laments terms.

4) I have an iPhone, and I love it. Mostly I tell you this just so you know where the pictures are coming from ALL THE TIME. Other then that, I am a single girl with very limited disposable income, so you can pretty much guarantee that everything I do is going to be on the cheap. Something that even the wealthiest of us can appreciate, I am sure!

That is all I can think of right now! I am working on a few different things right now, and as I finish them I can't wait to share them with you.

Check back soon for more updates!